Page 6 - Fall 2021 inLEAGUE with Historic Theatre Resource Guide/Allied Member Directory

four years, volunteers—all over the age of 70—
swapped out messages several times a week.
Thankfully, various grants including a COVID-19
relief grant intended to help cities communicate
during emergencies made it possible to
upgrade the reader board portions of the
marquee to digital signs that closely resembled
the original reader board and hanging letters.
Graycraft Signs, Warsaw, Ind., designed and
installed the 3’x12’ 10mm digital signs that were
manufactured by Watchfire
Signs. Watchfire also worked
with The REES to provide a
background template to look
like the old reader board
panels.
“Going from traditional hung
letters to a digital board
really scared me,” said Randy
Danielson, president of REES
Theatre, Inc. and co-chair of
the restoration committee.
“However, we can put
messages on the board and
you’d never know it wasn’t
old. The community loves it.”
The theater has the option of
programming the marquee
to look like an old-time reader board or use the
digital signs to showcase sponsor logos and other
messages. Best of all, the sign is easily and safely
updated from any location using cloud-based
software.
The cost to operate the marquee is practically
nothing, since it is powered by solar arrays
installed on the roof of the theater. What’s more,
the marquee is networked with the other digital
signs installed in neighboring counties as part of
the COVID-19 grant. If there’s an emergency, all
the signs can be programmed by one person to
quickly communicate messages.
The Embassy Theatre
Unlike The REES, The Embassy Theatre in Fort
Wayne, Ind., retrofitted its marquee to include
a 5’x53’ high-resolution digital sign that wraps
around the marquee and adds a modern flair to
the Art Deco building.
PAGE 4 | INLEAGUE League of Historic American Theatres
to the modern standards required for national
Opening in 1928 as a movie palace and
vaudeville house, The Embassy has hosted iconic
stars including Perry Como, Louis Armstrong, Tony
Bennett, and Doris Day.
The historic theater was rescued from the
wrecking ball in 1972 and two decades later
underwent a major renovation to bring it up
Broadway productions, concerts, cinema, and
educational programming. Decorating & Restoring
America’s Historic Theaters
The digital marquee installed as part of the
theater’s 75th Anniversary was in dire need of
replacement. The marquee featured the theater
name in red neon letters atop a low-resolution
digital sign that required frequent repairs. Parts
were becoming scarce, and one side no longer
worked.
Getting the digital marquee up and running
again was a priority during the pandemic so
the theater would be able to advertise virtual
events and promote COVID-19 messages of
encouragement to the community. The Embassy
sought donors to help fund the new marquee,
and two patrons stepped forward to meet the
need.
The Baldus Company of Fort Wayne, known for
resurrecting the marquee sign at another local
historic theater, The Clyde Theatre, was tapped
to provide the new sign. The company specified conradschmitt.com | 800.969.3033
6mm digital displays from Watchfire Signs. Pictured: Bradley Symphony Center - Milwaukee, Wisconsin
“Digital displays are a natural for historic
marquees,” said Hugh Baldus, a partner at The
Baldus Company. “Digital allows us to take $%*# happens.
something classic and modernize it in a way that
is in keeping with the historic integrity of the sign.” Build your emergency
The new sign seamlessly unites historic and preparedness and business
modern, showcasing videos of upcoming acts, continuity plan before it's too late.
high-resolution photos of the inside of the theater,
and messages to support the community and the
arts.
The best of both worlds
Historic theaters have many options when
it comes to restoring marquees using digital
technology. The flexibility enables theaters to
easily retrofit old readerboards to mimic days-
of-old, like The REES, or embrace the future using The new ArtsReady 2.0 online tool
photography, video, and animated graphics,
like The Embassy. Either approach allows theaters launches Spring 2022. Visit
to maintain nostalgia and benefit from greater artsready.org to sign up for updates.
efficiency and ease of use.
About the author: Carol Wade is Director of
Marketing at Watchfire Signs. ArtsReady is a national initiative of South Arts.
Historic Theatre Resource Guide / Allied Member Directory December 2021 INLEAGUE | PAGE 5