# Photos of a 1920's theatre today.



## tjrobb (Jun 3, 2009)

Many have requested photos of the theatre I work at. It was built in the late 1920's, and is currently undergoing massive repair and renovation (it was hit in last June's flood) so I took some time to shoot a few photos. Enjoy!

T Robb's Photos - Pics From TCR | Facebook


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## waynehoskins (Jun 3, 2009)

Wow! Thanks for sharing!


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## jml42691 (Jun 3, 2009)

Thanks for sharing those! And as much as I love old theatres, that thing looks like a death trap, can't wait to see the photos after the remodel.


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## gafftapegreenia (Jun 3, 2009)

Awesome pics, I love the old stuff like that.


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## willbb123 (Jun 3, 2009)

Wow, amazing pictures. Those fans are huge. 
It really sucks that you guys were hit by the flood. I had no idea how big your theater was, I live 30 mins away from you and have never been.


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## gafftaper (Jun 3, 2009)

WOW!!! What an amazing old space. Do you have a chunk of money to do a real restoration or are you just trying to piece it back together and get it functional? It looks like it could be a really beautiful theater again with the help of 15 million bucks or so. 

*SO* many code violations... it's amazing it didn't burn down or someone didn't get killed working there. 

I Love the fans and want to know what's in the Vault. If you spend 10 minutes a day dialing combinations...


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## derekleffew (Jun 4, 2009)

Just in case anyone has a spare million or two:
Theatre Cedar Rapids - "The Next Act" Capital Campaign
Watch the movie--it's worth it.


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## Wolf (Jun 4, 2009)

thanks for sharing looks amazing !
please do try to open the safe though, even if its empty ! sure you got something that can do it


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## len (Jun 4, 2009)

Those pix of the dome remind me of the Aragon in Chicago. Similar access (climbing ladders laid over the dome ceiling to a catwalk of 2" x 12" that wasn't secured). And no rails, no safety harness points, nothing. And there are riggers up there daily. It's amazing no one gets killed.


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## jongaduet (Jun 4, 2009)

I werk in the same style theatre. Built in 1928, restored in 2008. here's link to some photos if anyone is interested in these too.
 If you click MTCA 2008 at the top you get constructions photos. IF you click MTCA 2009, you get what we got now.

Crazy about your theatre getting flooded. I'd cry if that happened here.


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## derekleffew (Jun 4, 2009)

Nice pix, jongaduet. Wow, two followspots I don't recognize in pic#40, (although I think the one on the floor is a Phoebus, the panoramic view distorts somewhat). Some sidearms for your Box Boom fixtures would make your life ever so much happier.


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## Eboy87 (Jun 4, 2009)

jongaduet said:


> I werk in the same style theatre. Built in 1928, restored in 2008. here's link to some photos if anyone is interested in these too.
> If you click MTCA 2008 at the top you get constructions photos. IF you click MTCA 2009, you get what we got now.
> 
> Crazy about your theatre getting flooded. I'd cry if that happened here.



You're space is beautiful, and only 2 hours away. I may have to drive out there just to see it.


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## jongaduet (Jun 4, 2009)

Yer right about the phoebus. It's on the floor because it blew up...literally after 7 hours of use. There was a big dispute over who needed to pay for the bulb and the ballast, the installer, phoebus, or the operator (it wasn't me!!!), so it sat for a while. 

The other is the mighty lycian midget. I love it, maybe because it was my first.


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## derekleffew (Jun 4, 2009)

jongaduet said:


> The other is the mighty Lycian Midget. I love it, maybe because it was my first.


Yes I see now the resemblance, though I've never seen one live. But you must specify Midget II, as it's quite different from the normal Midget and Midget HP!





Lycian Model 1212

1212 Spec

And I can't see how either the Lycian or the Phoebus are useful in a theatre of that size.


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## jongaduet (Jun 4, 2009)

why's that? too dim at that far of a throw?


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## tjrobb (Jun 4, 2009)

The photos may be hard to see, there are indeed rails along ALL walks in the attic (and elsewhere), the only exception is for the one dropoff. As for the 54' foot up drop, it is abandoned and no one is crazy enough to go onto it.


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## NickJones (Jun 4, 2009)

This place is incredible! How did you get involved with it?
Nick


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## jongaduet (Jun 4, 2009)

tjrobb said:


> The photos may be hard to see, there are indeed rails along ALL walks in the attic (and elsewhere), the only exception is for the one dropoff. As for the 54' foot up drop, it is abandoned and no one is crazy enough to go onto it.



tj

I don't know what kind of budget you guys have for your restoration, or if you even get to decide on how to spend it, but having just gone through it, I wanna say to you... 

GET IT WHILE THE GETTIN' IS GOOD!!!

We spent tons of money then, and now there aint no money fer nuthin. And I could really use a short throw lens for my projector, a couple of subwoofers, and some fresh gobos. I'm just sayin, don't be shy about gettin yer share!


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## Sparkinium (Jun 5, 2009)

I must admit, jongaduet's photos blew me away. The panoramas themselves are breathtaking, and the theatre itself is gorgeous. One day I'd love to see it!

As for tjrobb's theatre.... Wow. I think that's the only word. Previous posters are right. So many safety hazards, and the 1980's remodel covered up some beautiful architecture. Let us know if you figure out where that pit of death leads to!


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## gafftaper (Jun 5, 2009)

A theater here was designed with a strange pit of doom below the fly rail that tied into the orchestra pit... and the roof's drainage system.  When it rains really hard if the main drain backs up, it fills this "tank" below the fly rail and then fills the orchestra pit and potentially fills the house too. 

Have you listened to your pit of death on a really rainy day?


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## tjrobb (Jun 5, 2009)

NickJones said:


> This place is incredible! How did you get involved with it?
> Nick



I was a tech for the longest time, and they were having me do a lot of electrical repairs on the building. Over time, they adopted/hired me.

As for initial involvement, pretty much I signed up (I think online) as a volunteer. They e-mailed the volunteers that they needed crew (for The Sting, act, my first show with them) and the rest is history.

The pit is likely a dead space behind a house wall in front of the pros. As for drainage, the house roof is sloped, runs into cast iron leaders, and from there into the storm system. Being downtown, we have to drain straight into the mains, they don't want us dumping water into the street.
Oddly, though, that reminds me of how our theatre was flooded- not straight from the river, but from the sanitary drains. They were overwhelmed, and found any open spots... like basements of buildings.


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## NickJones (Jun 6, 2009)

What's the timeframe of the restoration?


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## taylortheatrical (Jun 19, 2009)

Nice photos, I noticed in the description of one of the booth photos you mentioned the toilet was a union requirement. You are absolutely correct, do you know why it was required?


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## len (Jun 19, 2009)

taylortheatrical said:


> Nice photos, I noticed in the description of one of the booth photos you mentioned the toilet was a union requirement. You are absolutely correct, do you know why it was required?



I'm guessing the answer is going to be kind of gross.

On an unrelated note, you'd be surprised (well, not you, but some people) what was included in union contracts. The first restaurant I ever worked had a contract with the cooks that was last negotiated in the 1950's. Being a German restaurant, most of the cooks were German. They were entitled to one 16-ounce beer per hour while they worked. Of course, by the time I was hired in 1982 new employees weren't given that perk, but the old guys still got it. I think there was one guy who still was eligible when they closed in about 2004.


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## tjrobb (Jun 20, 2009)

According to current plans, we want to re-open arond February 2010.

As for the restroom, one guess I have is the old use of nitrocellulose film. They didn't want the booth empty in case it ignited. That, or they didn't want a tech wandering the halls needing a toilet...


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## willbb123 (Jun 20, 2009)

There used to be a toilet in our lighting booth. I've been told it's there because there used to be a movie projector, and they couldn't leave. There are many times when I wish it was still there.


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## jongaduet (Jun 23, 2009)

yeah in 35 mm projection a film not taking up for even 5 seconds can be a total spaghetti disaster! I got a bit of experience there


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## SAWYeR (Jun 24, 2009)

Wow! That's amazing. The dome definitely reminds me of the Aragon here in Chicago. I like how the house lights were old Major PCs, kinda entertaining. Definitely a piece of history, glad you captured it.


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## TimMiller (Jul 23, 2009)

no one wants to go repelling down into the pit of doom. I was in a highschool theater and they had a big 24" open pipe that led straight down into the ground. They just reciently covered it, but until then it was open and in the middle of one of the prop storage rooms. They called it the Obama Well. Not sure what its purpose was for.


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## len (Jul 23, 2009)

If you really want/need to see what's at the bottom of that pit, maybe you can get someone with a sewer camera to scope it out. They can move those cameras through several hundred feet of pipe, so your pit should be easy meat for them.


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## TimMiller (Jul 23, 2009)

If you were closer, i bet my gf would repel down there. She finds any excuse to go repelling.


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## museav (Jul 23, 2009)

TimMiller said:


> If you were closer, i bet my gf would repel down there. She finds any excuse to go repelling.


She might prefer it if you said she would rappel or likes rappelling.


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