Proctor's Theatre (Schenectady, New York) facts for kids
North elevation and marquee, 2009
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| Address | 432 State Street Schenectady, New York United States |
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| Owner | Arts Center and Theatre of Schenectady |
| Designation | NRHP #79003237 |
| Type | Movie palace |
| Capacity | 3,250 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1926 |
| Reopened | 1980 |
| Architect | Thomas W. Lamb |
| Website | |
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Proctor's Theatre
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | 82 4th St., Schenectady, New York |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1914 |
| Architect | Johnson, Arlard |
| MPS | Movie Palaces of the Tri-Cities TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 79003237 |
| Added to NRHP | October 4, 1979 |
Proctor's Theatre is a famous theatre in Schenectady, New York, United States. It was once a place for vaudeville shows, which were popular performances with singing, dancing, and comedy acts. Since 2007, it's also known as Proctors, even though the sign still has the apostrophe.
Many well-known artists have performed here. These include singers like Mariah Carey and Britney Spears. Actors like Hal Holbrook and George Burns have also graced its stage. The theatre also has one of the biggest movie screens in the Northeast United States.
Proctor's Theatre first opened its doors on December 27, 1926. It was designed by a famous architect named Thomas Lamb. In 1979, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a special place recognized for its history and importance. Soon after, the theatre was fixed up after being closed for a long time. A big renovation in 2007 added two more performance spaces. This made Proctor's a versatile place for many different kinds of shows.
The Theatre Building
Proctor's Theatre is on the south side of State Street in a busy shopping area. The outside of the building and its inside hallway are part of its historic listing.
The building has three main floors and an attic. The front of the building is covered in a smooth material called stucco. It has tall, decorative columns called Doric pilasters. You can also see decorations like garlands and round designs called paterae. A large sign, called a marquee, covers the sidewalk in front.
Inside, a long hallway connects the entrance to the main theatre. This hallway, called an arcade, originally had space for 14 small shops. It features five glass windows with copper frames. A beautiful marble staircase leads up to the offices. The ticket booth and display area are covered in rich walnut wood.
The main entrance area, or foyer, has a red carpet. There are separate rooms for men and women on each side. Two more marble staircases lead up to the balcony seating area. A peaceful painting of a countryside scene decorates one wall. These stairs lead to a balcony walkway. Here, you can find an old-fashioned sofa in the style of King Louis XV. The decorations include fancy Corinthian columns and iron railings. There is also a lot of shiny gold leaf detail.
More Corinthian columns stand next to the stage's main arch. Gold leaf designs cover the domed ceiling and entrance arches. This contrasts with the black and silver wall coverings. The special seating areas on the sides have iron grilles and heavy velvet curtains. A large black and gold chandelier with 192 lights hangs in the center. Six smaller lights are placed around it.
History of Proctor's
Schenectady grew very quickly in the late 1800s and early 1900s. This was thanks to the General Electric company. The city's streetcar system made it easy to get to downtown. A theatre owner named Frederick Freeman Proctor built his first theatre in 1912. Later in his life, he decided to build a new, grander one.
The new theatre cost $1.5 million to build. It opened on December 27, 1926. The first show was a silent movie called Stranded in Paris. People were so amazed by the beautiful theatre that they didn't even mind that the organ wasn't working!
Two years later, Proctor added sound equipment for the new "talkie" movies. He sold his theatre chain to RKO Pictures shortly before he passed away in 1929.
On May 22, 1930, the theatre hosted a special event. A man named Ernst Alexanderson showed off an early version of television. He used his own system to project a large image onto a six-by-six-foot screen.
During the 1960s and 70s, the theatre started to fall apart. Many people moved out of Schenectady. There were plans to tear down the theatre to make a parking lot. But a group of people worked together to save it. They formed the Arts Districts of Schenectady.
In the fall of 2007, Proctor's finished a big $24.5 million expansion. This project added two more theatres. Now, there are three different performance spaces for the public:
- The Main Theatre: This historic stage seats about 2,700 people.
- The GE Black Box Theatre: This theatre can seat 450 people. Its seats can be moved. This allows the space to be changed for different types of shows.
- The 440 Upstairs: This smaller theatre has 100 seats. It's great for smaller performances. These include one-person shows or jazz concerts. It's also a place for writers to try out new plays. (This theatre was later sold, and the building was taken down in 2011).
After the expansion in September 2007, Proctor's Theatre changed its official name to "Proctors." This new name shows that it now has three different theatres.
On July 18, 2009, the theatre won a special award. It received the Outstanding Historic Theatre Award. This award came from the League of Historic American Theatres. Proctors even hosted the group's big meeting in 2011.
Expansion Timeline
2004:
- The theatre's roof, which was over 25 years old, was replaced.
- A special wall was built in the main theatre to make the sound better.
- Work began on the foundation for a new stage area.
2005:
- A new sound system, costing $1 million, was installed.
- The candy counter was updated.
- The stage area was made three times bigger. This included a new loading dock and dressing rooms.
2006:
- Construction started on the GE Theatre. This new space has a flat floor and 450 seats that can be moved. It also has a huge 60' x 60' screen.
- New carpet was put in the main theatre.
- New furniture was added to the men's lounge.
- The Golub Arcade was restored.
- A new Green Room was created for performers.
- The gift shops were made larger and better.
- Old plaster decorations were fixed and restored.
- Paint was removed from frosted glass panels and copper edges.
2007:
- More construction happened in the area of the former Carl company.
2018:
- In 2018, Proctor's Theatre spent seven weeks replacing all the main stage seats. The new seats are bigger and more comfortable. They also managed to fit in more seats than before. Now, the theatre can seat 2,594 people in its fixed seats. With extra seats for the orchestra pit and accessible seating, the theatre can hold 2,700 people.
