The Saenger Theatre - Has the Sleeping Giant Stirred?

By Thomas Doran

Downtown Pine Bluff has a house full of ghosts – and it’s rattling its bones. This particular haunted house is known as the Saenger Theatre. It opened its doors in 1924, and though shuttered as a daily attraction still finds a way to open and keep its seats occupied from time to time – mainly by the Pine Bluff Film Festival, celebrating its 12^th season this coming September-October. Oscar winning actress Shirley Jones, most popularly known as the mom of the Partridge Family, will walk the aisles and trod the stage of the finest theatre in Pine Bluff (and maybe even in Arkansas), adding to the many memories of the place. But wait a minute – back up – the finest theatre you say? That run-down ol’ wreck? Yes. The finest. That run-down ol’ wreck. The atmosphere is electric, the acoustics are magnificent – site lines from every single one of its 1500 seats are just splendid…and yes, yes, yes, she is a bit down on her luck. She is dirty and worn and ragged and dim. She has been looted and abused over the decades. Punched and slapped and spoken ill of more often than not. But she has never been knocked off her feet for all that. She still has more than a spark of life in spite of the plots against her past and present – she still has what it takes to stand up straight and declare she is alive and well and thriving.

And she won’t be going into retirement or under the wrecker’s ball if some local folks have anything to say about it. The Saenger is one ghost who won’t give up...well, the ghost.

Kathleen Majewska has been watching over the old girl for some 12 years now with a band of devoted followers. The theatre gets a wash every now and then – people come and marvel and share memories, they see the stars and films at the Film Festival. And believe me, no one is getting rich from stewarding that theatre – in fact, it’s quite the opposite. But people have tenacity and vision and a good heart and do it all regardless of what some people callously say is a losing battle. “I just don’t want to hear about the Saenger theatre anymore,” many have said to Ms. Majewska as she soldiers on with determination. But you’re going to hear about it, no matter what happens.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the story from past patrons of the theatre about the fun of bringing two coke bottles on a Saturday morning to get into the matinee. If the theatre got a donation for every time I heard that story the Saenger would be well on its way towards restoration. Perhaps we can have our own Saturday matinee – instead of two coke bottles we can ask for two bars of gold. But the theatre needs more than well-wishers and an occasional good polish as much as all of that is greatly and honestly appreciated. She needs real help – and finally a big push is being made in that direction. Pine Bluff’s recently elected mayor, Carl Redus, has come to visit and wishes the building to be rehabilitated. Senator Wilkins has declared the same. Architects and theatre construction personal – some of the finest in the country – have descended upon the theatre eager to give advice and help. Bob Abbott of Pine Bluff wants it to open once again and has been one of its biggest boosters – and unlike some, he’s put his money where his mouth is. To that end I was brought in from Los Angeles to put together a business plan that will make the rounds to some well-known and well-off folks around the country.

I have traveled across the country and seen many other theatres that have similar demographics, similarly sized facilities, and similar wants and needs. All of the old theatres I have visited, no matter what state they are in, are magnificent. I almost don’t want to bother telling anyone about the architecture and the style and the shows and the stars that have been on the Saenger’s stage anymore. We’ve all heard the stories, all read previous newspaper articles about the theatre – and then promptly forgotten about it a couple of days later. And perhaps this is just another one of those articles. Me? Well, I just want to get on with it. Get on to restoring it. No more talk, no more pats on the back, no more sad stories, no more of the same old, same old. Let’s see some action. And if nothing comes of it? Well, we will have done our best. After all, if the building doesn’t open again, if it indeed ends up as a parking lot, I imagine a lot of well-intentioned and honest people will say, “Oh, that’s too bad – if only someone had done something.” Well, like it or not, that someone is you. Everyone reading this paper, everyone who cares about theatre, local culture and health, about films and performers – about art and architecture, about economic well-being and community pride – about hope. And the time is now. Please, I don’t ever want to hear “I’m sorry.” There’ll be enough guilt to pass around later.

Now, doing the business plan means more than gathering mere figures – figures are deceiving in some ways. You have to calculate not only what is necessary at the moment, but what might be necessary down the line. Technology changes within weeks and in the end, if the Saenger does reopen its doors, it won’t be as a museum, but as a living, functioning building, ready and able to adapt to change.

You have to figure out where people are coming from, what they want to see, how they’ll get here, where they’ll park their cars, stay the night, have dinner or a late night cup of coffee – and frankly, there needs to be more of that available. They need to go hand in hand with any restoration. So what we are really calculating isn’t just operating costs but what the town will become with a revitalized Saenger – with a revitalized downtown. With a place to relax and gossip after a show, with a safe place to park and walk and talk and visit with neighbors. So, we aren’t just talking about one old building or two – we’re talking about the entire city of Pine Bluff and all the people and all our futures. Your future – you, reading this newspaper. I’m not kidding. Try to visualize it then to make it easier – would you rather see yet another empty lot – or a vivid theatre and restaurants and coffee-houses and pubs and streets full of people. Would you rather just have another place to park your car and grumble about the deterioration of downtown, or would you prefer to have your car valet-parked and be able to stroll into a plush movie palace to see a great show, and then saunter across the street for some coffee and pastries. If no one can see the difference, and if no one cares to do anything about it – well, perhaps the town doesn’t deserve future memories.

Think I’m being harsh? Well, perhaps I am. But the same old notions have gotten us nowhere it seems, and its time for a radical change. We’ve got lots of old memories, but don’t you want some new ones? Once restored the Saenger will be a place without peer throughout the southeast. The building is solid - only a tornado could bring it down. And perhaps not even then. But I’d like audiences to do that, if you know what I mean. And I know you do.

Photo credit to Joe Dempsey

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Thomas Doran