Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Save the State Theater?

All photos from the Facebook campaign 
Horrible Readers (reader feedback has suggested that Gentle Readers is disgustingly sweet), it seems that there has been talk of shutting down the State Theater. The Facebook campaign to save the landmark boasts 4,000 likes and numerous facts about the space, like:

  • The State Theater opened in 1941 and has shown movies continuously for 71 years. 
  • The Michigan Theater does not own or lease the State Theater, but it has programmed and marketed the films at the State since 1997. Even in its current disheveled condition, the Sate attracts over 50,000 movie goers annually, which is above average among Art House theaters world-wide.
According to the page, on December 12, the Historic District Commission will vote on the fate of State Theater.


I am partial to the State. It was one of the first places I ventured in Ann Arbor, isolating myself from my freshman orientation with some pretentious indie movie. I think it was the first thing that gave me reason to cross the Diag. Since that first visit, years ago, our downtown landscape has changed considerably, giving way to the CVS, 7-11, Five Guys and now a Walgreens. I know it's the time of the year to be grateful for big business, but I'm just not feeling it. 


Let's hope that this campaign can accomplish saving the State. Maybe we could offer the American Apparel space to the "Apartments and Office Space" Gods instead. 




1 comment:

  1. I saw "Surf Nazis Must Die" at the State. It must be saved.

    ReplyDelete