SM 09-06-89 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

We have arbitrarily chosen a 90 event day calender for Palais Royale Ballroom use in order to inform our budget proforma development. Only actual experience over a period of 3 -5 years will accurately set this use pattern. 4. The State Theatre Key to understanding our recommendations for the restoration /rehabilitation of the State Theatre by creating a two venue house is program. What will take place in the new State Theatre Concert Hall and Playhouse? And how does this production activity support the overall goal of the creation of a Entertainment District - "a liveliness, actuality and excitement in downtown South Bend ?" The Morris Civic Auditorium and Palais Royale restoration will provide the perfect venue for the "grand event." 2,400 seats and a stagehouse worthy of such a theatre will make the larger, glamorous productions possible. Yet, for artistic, economic and audience comfort reasons, the Morris Civic Auditorium cannot foot the entire bill of entertainment needs for a market such as presented to us with South Bend at its center. Were we to build a new performing arts center - complete in its concept and designs - we would be building a four theatre house. A large grand hall (the Morris Civic Auditorium), an accoustically and artistically fine concert hall of 700+ seats (the State Theatre Concert Hall), a playhouse with a non- traditional stage, seating 300 -350 (the State Theatre Playhouse) and a 500- 600 seat art, classic and second run movie house (the Avon Theatre.) The restoration /rehabilitation of the State Theatre here proposed provides the component program potential to meet the demand of both artist and audience alike. It will provide the Entertainment District Management, the local arts enterprise and civic and commercial programmers of South Bend with a choice of venues to fit their individual needs. -17-