A theater turned skate park. How did that happen?
history under ground
stages
The main stage and the retired (and in this instance, scrambled) marquee that will be repaired and reinstalled above Superior Street. A former manager of the building I used to photograph Nopeming with told me that the letters for the Art Deco tower are stored somewhere in the NorShor to this day, but I did not see them (and frankly, I doubt it).
A scene on the balcony.
A small stage in one of the barracks.
2005. The stage in front of the cafeteria, as it was.
From the back of the house, looking at a lone chair on stage. From these seats it’s amazing to me that such a giant theater existed out of sight in the middle of downtown.
The stage had two pianos. Did they ever duel?
Though the proscenium went through two overhauls (1940s, 1970s), it is almost totally original to the 1916 design.
Lacy hated playing for people. She wanted to make the piano speak back to her, not make people stare.
Every vaudeville show would use different curtains, and of course there had to be a white screen for the films themselves. Lit with four big construction lights.
Lost words over the auditorium entrance.
The roof has been replaced since this was taken. Hopefully, that will stem the water damage.
The State School stage, taken as it was getting scrapped.
The backdrop has become the pallet for water damage and graffiti.
The stage from the balcony, which was in bad condition.
It’s a straight view from the projection booth to the stage, but hell of a walk. At a fast pace, I think it would take 10 minutes to walk from this spot to the chair. Behind the curtains is a big white screen, so the theatre could be used for either stagework or moving pictures. The two projectors are set up for 3D movies right now–hence the little switch below the window–a Polaroid 3D synchronizer. Cool, huh?
The house of the NorShor is surprisingly large, even divided in half. It seems unthinkable that this stage has been empty for so long.
The theater had a projection booth in the rear, though the movie projector was gone. This is looking where the projector lens would have been at the stage.
The stage had seen some water damage, but it can (and should) be brought back!
2015. Water damage hastens the decay of the annex and its stage. Every time I visit this room, the chairs are in different places. Kodak Portra 400 in a Voigtlander Bessa.