Less than a week after a downtown theater shut its doors, the State Twin Theater, 128 W. College Ave., announced yesterday it too will close next week.
Since Carmike Cinemas, the theater's parent company, declared bankruptcy, the chain's theaters in State College are experiencing the backlash. The Movies, on the corner of Beaver Avenue and Garner Street, was the first to close last Thursday. Next Thursday, the State Twin will close.
Carmike Cinemas also owns two other State College movie theaters: Cinema 5, 116 Heister St.; and Cinema 6, 501 Benner Pike. A spokesperson at Cinema 5 said earlier this week that the theater was unaware of The Movies closing or how Cinema 5 would be affected by Carmike Cinemas' bankruptcy.
"I just get the word handed down from higher up, I don't know the specifics," said Chris Mattiuz, manager of the State Twin. "I'm assuming (the closure is) because it was not profitable for the company."
Carmike Cinemas representatives could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Although the State Twin will soon be closed to moviegoers, one local resident wants to preserve the historic building.
Tyler Kulp has visions of restoring the State Twin to its original shell, created in 1938.
Kulp worked at the State Twin for almost two years. Now he is spearheading the State Theater Restoration Project with partner Anthony Carroll, a film history student at the University of Iowa.
In efforts to accomplish the first stage of their project, research and support, the two State College residents spoke at the Historic Resources Commission Tuesday with pleas for assistance from commission members.
During the meeting, commission members probed for possible historical significance in the theater's architecture. Kulp said the original architecture is hard to see because of the many renovations the theater has experienced, including covered ceilings.
"There may be some interesting stuff under the (ceiling)," commission member John Sacksteder said.
Members of the Historic Resources Commission seemed to want to lend a helping hand to the project during Tuesday's meeting.
"Downtown revitalization is often connected with revitalizing a theater," Council Liaison Catherine Dauler said.
Commission member Karen Burgos pledged to do anything she could to help. Fellow commission member Silvi Lawrence suggested the men seek help from a film society at Penn State or a state preservation organization.
The theater has a special significance to Kulp because it was the location of his grandparents' first date, when they went to see the original version of Father of the Bride in early 1953. With an interest in film history, Carroll thinks restoring the oldest operating theater in State College would be great for the community, he said.
Through their research of local newspaper archives, documents from the Centre County Historical Society and stories from grandparents, the self–proclaimed film buffs have unveiled some history about the State Twin.
Originally called the State Theater, it opened Oct. 15, 1938 as one of only three theaters in the country premiering a film called The Sisters. Back then, admission for adults was only 30 cents and 35 cents after 5 p.m., while children were admitted for just 15 cents. Vaudevillian acts would occasionally perform on the theater's built-in stage.
According to a press release from the State Theater Restoration Project: "Over the past 63 years, the State (Twin) has gone through many changes and renovations ... The live theater has given way to Coca-Cola commercials and teenybopper films ... The long-term goal of this project is to sit in the State Theater on its 75th or 100th birthday, look around, and have it take you back to 1938."
After the Historical Resources Commission meeting Tuesday, Kulp and Carroll felt optimistic about the possibilities of their effort.
"I am going to contact the owners of the building, research state funding, as well as contact restoration projects around the country to see what they are doing," Carroll said.
Carroll said he is also looking to restore the theater to provide better facilities for the Graduate Student Association's film presentations.
Kulp and Carroll are hoping for involvement from Penn State, specifically from the history department and film department. For more information, they can be reached at restoration@executiveduck.com.
