The Broadway Theatre of Pitman

So apparently the folks in charge over at the theater in Pitman continued to take volunteers during the summer. There was no deliberate effort to get volunteers like there was for that clean up day in April – in which I participated. These people just showed up and offered supportive help to the restoration workers. Actually, some of those people were also volunteers, professionals offering their experience as help.
I would have liked to be one of those volunteers offering supportive help. That day I spent helping at the theater in April was a very good day. I missed the opportunity to continue helping because, well, I’m not sure: The summer just seemed so hectic and was gone before I knew it.
Well, the major work is complete. Peter Slack (owner), Pat Mangano (theater director) and the rest of the board of trustees hosted a special grand reopening gala last week on the 23rd. And just a few weeks before that, there was a special event – impromptu – for the relighting of the marquee. I missed that one because of that blasted GRE and I missed the gala because I couldn’t afford the tickets. Anyway, this Saturday, the 30th, the theater will be reopened for the public at 10 am. No special events – that I’m aware of – just an open house so the public can see the product of the summer’s renovation efforts.
I plan to be there. I’m curious to see what they were able to keep and what had to be made brand new. Some of the old chairs had to be removed to make way for wheelchair access. However, I do know that a deliberate effort was made to keep as much original as possible.
There will be movies, mostly classics and some cult favorites, starting in October. I did purchase a movie plan card and I hope to make great use of it. During Halloween 2003 and 2004 I watched the silent version of The Phantom of the Opera at the theater and fell in love with the sound of the pipe organ. It was an amazing event – both times – that I hope will occur again starting this Halloween. I’d love for something like that to be a part of my Halloween tradition.
Live theater events will begin in January 2007, starting with Gypsy. Other shows include The Odd Couple and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. The managing director worked at the Ritz Theater in Audubon; I’ve heard good things about that place so my confidence in Pat is strong.
As I mentioned before, the first time I went to a movie theater was this place. Because of that and my general interest in history and preservation, I’ve been particularly interested in what happens to this theater. Back in 2003 another old theater, called The Century (which had been operating as the dance and costume shop Capa’s for years), was torn down and a large Eckerd drug store was built in its place. Not even a year later that store closed. Now, despite my interest in history and preservation, I am also interested in new technology and progress. This, however, was not progress. I don’t know what to call it, except sad and pathetic. Unfortunately, another old theater will soon be lost, this time to a Walgreen’s.
The Harwan in Mt. Ephraim will soon be demolished to make way for a Walgreen’s store only ½ a mile away from another Walgreen’s (and across the street from a CVS). This theater isn’t as visually interesting as the theater in Pitman (I know little of The Century), but I did have good times there. They served Pennsylvania Dutch Birch Beer! Bruce Campbell, famous from the cult favorite horror series Evil Dead (directed by that guy who di the recent Spiderman movies) made an appearance there and stayed until dawn to sign autographs for everyone who got in line.
Again, tearing down an old building, something that is part of that community's cultural identity and could still be useful/productive in some way, just to add to the glut of mega-drug stores in the area is not progress, just pathetic.
I read something in a film journal called CINE Action that struck me emotionally:

If we lose the past, we lose the future.

I will be sad to see the Harwan go down. But I am grateful Pitman's theater has been saved. And now that we are back to our original subject, I should tell you that the theater in Pitman has a new name: The Broadway Theater of Pitman. Apparently the previous owner still owns the rights to the old name, Broadway Theatre, hence the rewording.
There are also some Web links I’d like to share with you:
The official Web page of The Broadway Theater of Pitman
Video clip: Relighting the Broadway
Recent Courier Post article: Theater dusts off cobwebs
Article about the Harwan: No happy ending
Also, if you want to go to the open house this Saturday, September 30, 2006, doors open at 10 am. I’ll be the one in the Muppets t-shirt.