CMU School of Drama


Monday, September 26, 2016

Saving the Paramount: Volunteers remove 880 seats in less than 3 hours

www.desmoinesregister.com: With the threat of flood waters looming, more than 100 volunteers took less than three hours Sunday to remove 880 seats from the main floor of the grand old Paramount Theatre.

The landmark, which opened in 1928, is just a block from the Cedar River. It was inundated by the flood of 2008, which trashed the seats, the carpet, the walls and its signature Wurlitzer organ.

2 comments:

Marisa Rinchiuso said...

This is such a heat warming story! After looking at all of the photos, you can truly see that this theatre is so special. That theatre has he power of being more than a theatre. It is a city icon. It represents so much more than it actually is, and I think that is why they didn't want to move it from its original location. This story is a lot like the plot of Crazy For You, but I guess kind of inverted. It is a project that is completely voluntary that brings the community closer together. The town is also quite a small town, so you can imagine that the theatre means a lot to them. In our times of tragedy and horror, it is refreshing to read about this uplifting, good at heart people.

Julian Goldman said...

It is really cool to hear about so many people caring so much about the theater in their community. I’d imagine this would be such a heartwarming experience for the people who work at the Paramount. I’m also really impressed that so many people turned up to help. Maybe I just don’t have enough faith in humanity, and maybe that would happen almost anywhere, but I feel like there has to be something unique about the Paramount’s relationship with the community in order to draw that kind of response. Also, I imagine this will actually help the theater in the long term, as all of those volunteers who came probably now feel more invested in the theater and would be more likely to see shows since they likely now feel a stronger connection to the space. I really hope all their efforts pan out and the theater isn’t damaged by flooding.