State College isn't exactly a cultural mecca, but at least it's known for providing more performing arts events than most towns its size.

At least two recent developments will help to improve that reputation.

Last February, community leaders announced plans to renovate the old State Theater on West College Avenue for a community film, theatre and music venue.

The building was transferred at no cost to the organizers for their planned refurbishment.

The goal of the community group is to transform the former movie house to allow for capacity seating of more than 500 people, including the upstairs balcony.

Planners got an extra leg up recently, when they received a $40,000 grant toward the renovation.

But that's just the prelude to a multiple-act process necessary to raise the estimated $3 million to raise the curtain.

Another theater in the works is set to fill the GN Center building located next to Panera Bread on South Allen Street.

Penn State plans to open a 150-seat theater and fine arts gallery on the site to add to the limited number of modest-sized arts facilities on campus.

The two new theaters hope to open their doors to small local theater, dance and musical acts, which haven't had as many places to perform before.

It is about time that this town and university recognize the need to offer more in the way of arts for this community.

Local dance and theater groups have had to rely on Penn State's facilities and those of other local schools to provide a setting for their events.

This isn't the best of situations. These groups often want a place they can call their own, where they don't feel like perpetual visitors.

The town hopes the theaters will be able to showcase one-act lunchtime shows, musical revues, cabaret performances, midnight specials, full-scale productions, lectures, theatre classes and artistic films.

To have all these events in one place will be a blessing. For the past several years, there haven't been many forums for residents with such a wide array of artistic options.

We would like to thank the local community leaders and the university's School of the Theatre for having the vision and wisdom to launch these two initiatives.

However, these theaters cannot become a reality without financial support.

It's important for the town and students to embrace these planned theaters and help support them either by donating money or by volunteering to help get them off the ground, if that sort of aid starts to become necessary.

The more support that's shown for these theaters, the greater they will be and the sooner they'll be woven into the fabric of our downtown.

How many times do we hear that complaint, "There's, like, nothing to do here"?

Maybe when these two theaters start tearing tickets, we'll hear that line a bit less often.