85 and still a stunner; State Theatre celebrates birthday, shows off second screen
You’ve gotta admit, she looks pretty great for 85. On Saturday the public was invited to celebrate the State Theatre’s 85th anniversary.
The historic theater in downtown Modesto hosted an open house and celebration, and gave previews of its soon-to-open small second screen. Dubbed The Jewel, the micro-theater will seat 25 and is intended to help the nonprofit arthouse theater expand its movie and event options.
The all-day event Saturday was free to the public. A short documentary on the history of the State Theatre was shown throughout the day, as well as Saturday morning cartoons, old films shorts and vintage serials. The State Theatre opened on Christmas Day in 1934, considered a gift to the city of Modesto at the time.
The Jewel will open to the public Dec. 27 with a week-long showing of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” the sleeper rom-com hit from 2002 that drew thousands to the theater as one of the only in the region screening the feature. The film will run 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. daily, and have a special admission price of $5.
The theater has 25 seats, which have cup holders and will be assigned for films unlike its 550-seat next-door big sister theater. The interior has large wall murals painted to match the main theater as well. Modesto artists Sue Oler and Rhonda Darling McDonald painted the new theater, and were also the team that restored the large theater’s iconic greyhound and gazelle murals in 2005.
State Executive Director Kirstie Boyett said people have been excited to see the new theater, and celebrate the State’s continued longevity.
“This gives us more diversity and hopefully will bring more people downtown,” Boyett said. “We’re excited to show off The Jewel.”
This story was originally published December 21, 2019 at 3:29 PM.
