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1937 - Our Story Begins
Local businessman and entrepreneur, R. C. Cluster, purchased the building at the corner of South Broadway and McMackin streets for the express purpose of building a theater to entertain the locals. Architect O. W. Stiegemeyer designed the "picture show" building in the then-popular Egyptian Art Deco style, respecting Salem's infamy as the "Gateway to Little Egypt". Salem contractor E. H. Barenfanger completed the construction, and the theater opened to S.R.O. crowds on January 2, 1938. At it's opening, famous cowboy singer Tex Ritter, himself, performed on its stage, and the 1937 movie "45 Fathers" played, continuously, on the screen.
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1942 - Tragedy Strikes!
On April 27, 1942, downtown Salem was rocked by a massive explosion, which resulted in a fire at the theater. Although the cause of the explosion was never determined, several area fire departments responded and managed to save many of the building's original architectural details. Smoke damage can be seen on the backstage brick wall to this day. The sloping terrazzo floors and black and red carera glass in the outer lobby are original to the theater and provide a beautiful glimpse into the building's Art Deco beauty. A small triangle of carpeting in the interior lobby was salvaged from Mr. Cluster's second-floor office, having been laid there in 1936. The first movie that was shown after the explosion and fire damage was repaired was "Snow White and The Seven Dwarves".
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1982 - Time Marches On
The Cluster family operated the motion picture theater until they sold it to the Kerasotas theater chain in 1982. At that time, Kerasotas built a wall down the center of the auditorium, dividing it into two screening theaters. The ticket booth was enclosed, a refreshment stand was added, and the color scheme was changed to "popular-at-the-time" oranges and browns. Kerasotas ran the movie theater, showing not-quite-new movies and charging $1 admission until it was closed in the late 1990's. At that time, Kerasotas had a newer, larger, movie theater 35 miles to the south in Mt. Vernon and opted to sell the building to the City of Salem for the pricey sum of $1 and the stipulation that another movie theater chain could not open. In December of 1999, after that generous gift by Kerasotas, the present-day Salem Community Theatre was born.
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2001 - Heroes Step Forward
On March 25, 2001, the Salem Community Theatre and Cultural Center was incorporated with a visionary board of directors who pledged to bring culture and entertainment to the Salem area. One original board member remains active on the present day board of directors, Meredith Fyke, while the others have retired or passed away. Extensive renovations began immediately and have continued, unceasingly, to the present day. The dividing wall, installed by Kerasotas, was removed, the stage was rebuilt and extended, rest rooms were remodeled, the lobbies were refurbished, seats were cleaned and repaired, and sound and lighting systems were installed. In 2019, construction on the west side of the theater was completed and added set construction space, dressing rooms, and backstage bathrooms.
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What Does Our Future Hold?
The most amazing part of community theater is how it is always changing, growing, expanding, and challenging future generations. Our active board of directors seeks to keep the theater a vibrant and important part of the Salem community, and you can always be a part of that!
To keep the theater relevant in the present and into the future, we need you. Volunteer for one of many events, performances, or projects. Attend shows to support local talent and encourage them to continue to entertain us all. Donate your finances to help the theater achieve great things in the future. Make suggestions for musicals, plays, speakers, movies, or other cultural events you would like to see the theater present. Join us as we continue to tell the story that was begun so very long ago! |