Page 7 - Fall 2021 inLEAGUE with Historic Theatre Resource Guide/Allied Member Directory

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

vaudeville house, The Embassy has hosted iconic like The Embassy. Either approach allows theaters launches Spring 2022. Visit
Unlike The REES, The Embassy Theatre in Fort stars including Perry Como, Louis Armstrong, Tony to maintain nostalgia and benefit from greater artsready.org to sign up for updates.
Wayne, Ind., retrofitted its marquee to include Bennett, and Doris Day. efficiency and ease of use.
a 5’x53’ high-resolution digital sign that wraps
around the marquee and adds a modern flair to The historic theater was rescued from the About the author: Carol Wade is Director of
the Art Deco building. wrecking ball in 1972 and two decades later Marketing at Watchfire Signs. ArtsReady is a national initiative of South Arts.
underwent a major renovation to bring it up
PAGE 4 | INLEAGUE League of Historic American Theatres Historic Theatre Resource Guide / Allied Member Directory December 2021 INLEAGUE | PAGE 5