Sottile Theater facts for kids
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Gloria Theater
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| Address | 44 George St. Charleston, South Carolina United States |
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| Coordinates | 32°47′3″N 79°56′8″W / 32.78417°N 79.93556°W |
| Owner | College of Charleston |
| Operator | College of Charleston |
| Type | small movie palace |
| Capacity | 785 |
| Current use | performing arts venue |
| Construction | |
| Opened | August 20, 1927 |
| Reopened | 1990 |
| Years active | 1927-1974, 1990-present |
| Architect | C.K. Howell and J.D. Newcomer |
The Sottile Theatre is a cool old theater in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. It belongs to the College of Charleston. Many local and national groups use it for shows, including the famous Spoleto Festival USA. The theater has 785 seats. It was built in the 1920s by a man named Albert Sottile.
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History of the Sottile Theatre
The Sottile Theatre was built by Mr. Albert Sottile. He was the President of Pastime Amusement Company. A famous architect named C.K. Howell designed it. Howell also built Charleston's Garden Theater. Construction on the Sottile Theatre started in 1922.
Opening as the Gloria Theater
The theater was first called the Gloria Theater. It opened on August 20, 1927. The first movie shown was After Midnight, starring Norma Shearer. When it first opened, it had 2,000 seats. This made it the biggest theater in South Carolina at the time.
The Gloria Theater was used for both live shows, called vaudeville, and movies. It was designed to be like the grand movie palaces of that era, but a bit smaller. A very special event happened there: the South Carolina premiere of the movie Gone with the Wind. Some of the actors from the movie were there, including Alicia Rhett, who was from Charleston.
The theater was changed a bit in 1966. After that, it wasn't used as a theater for several years.
Bringing the Theatre Back to Life
The College of Charleston bought the old Gloria Theater in 1976. They planned to fix it up. For ten years, though, the building was just used for storage. In 1986, the College of Charleston President, Harry M. Lightsey, Jr., helped start efforts to restore the theater. It finally reopened in February 1990.
Amazing Discoveries During Renovation
The College of Charleston made many improvements to the Sottile Theatre. They expanded the stage and made the orchestra pit bigger. They also added a large new section for dressing rooms and storing scenery.
In early 2011, something amazing was found! Workers discovered two huge murals hidden under acoustic tiles. These paintings were on canvas. Italian artists from New York City painted them in the 1920s. One mural shows a centaur and nymphs in a forest. The other shows classical figures celebrating music and drama by the sea. These murals were first shown in 1927 when the theater opened.
The College of Charleston has been working to restore these beautiful artworks. One mural was carefully taken down for repair. The other mural has been uncovered and is still hanging. You can see its age and some damage, which tells a story of its past. Much of the restoration involves removing glue from when the acoustic tiles were put over them.
The Sottile Theatre Today
Today, the main part of the theater still has a beautiful blue dome ceiling. It looks like a shimmering sky with twinkling stars made from lights. The archways on the sides have fancy ironwork. The original domed ceiling is surrounded by a plaster ring. The stage has a decorative frame around it.
The lobbies were completely updated. A new lobby was built on the second floor for people going to the balconies. This second-floor area opens onto a covered porch. From there, you can look out over George Street. The Sottile Theatre is now a busy place for many different performing arts events.
