News Release
THE DAILY HOME
July 30, 2003
The lake isn't the only area fun spot
by Joe Schweizer
The city of Talladega offers a number of ways to spend time, one of which is the historic Ritz Theatre, located at 115 North Court Square.
The summer is “a real down time for us,” but some events are planned, said George Culver, executive director of Antique Talladega and the theater.
On Aug. 14 at 6:30 p.m., humorist and author Faye Brown will speak as part of a benefit for the Newspaper in Education program. A book signing and reception will also be a part of the event, Culver said.
All proceeds will go to a program that brings free newspapers to students. It is a collaboration between the theater and The Daily Home, he said.
The theater will hold a gospel concert Oct. 2 with three icons in the field: Ivan Parker, Anthony Burger and Kurt Talley, Culver said.
There will be upcoming fall, winter and spring programs — the latter which are the largest — to be announced later, he said.
The theater, which sits on Talladega’s historic Courthouse Square, is one of the best surviving examples of the “main street art deco period of the 1930s” and warrants a look at the exterior even if visitors are not going to see a show, he said.
Not many of these theaters remain, and the Ritz is the only surviving theater in the country to have every inch of its front facade covered with the opaque structural glass called vitrolite, which was common on art deco buildings, he said.
The theater, which is a fully functional, regionally focused arts center, was built in 1936 and has 500 seats. The theater has acquired its neighboring buildings and Culver would like to expand the operation in the next 12 to 36 months.
To get on the theater’s mailing list for upcoming programs, call (256) 315-0000.
More News Releases
|
|
