"Like a jewel in downtown": Auburn State Theatre seeking community support after roof collapses
AUBURN - Shows are on pause at the Auburn State Theatre after a roof collapsed inside. The theatre is now asking for the community's support to make the critical repairs.
"The theatre is like a jewel in downtown," said Donna Arc, who has lived in Auburn for 36 years and works near the theatre.
It has been standing in Auburn since the 1930s, built to help the community during the great depression.
"It is a very special place. It is always full," Arc said. "It is always taken care of."
On the morning of April 14, theatre volunteers noticed some dust on the red seats. They closed the auditorium and postponed weekend shows.
Then, on April 18, Patrick Storm with the Auburn State Theatre said the plaster ceiling inside separated from the wood lath, collapsing onto the theatre seats.
"That little pile of dust became a big chunk of the ceiling," Storm said.
At this point, Storm said they do not know what caused the collapse.
"We cannot speculate on it," he said. "We know we have had a lot of rain and anything can happen in an old building."
Arc said she has seen countless live plays, musicians and films in the theatre over the years.
"It has a new roof, but I am sure the inside and the guts of the building, the roof just needed to go."
"We are not just running the theatre we are the stewards of this historic property," Storm said.
Storm is asking the community to rally behind it in its annual "Big Day of Giving" fundraising. It starts on April 20 and lasts through May 4.
"It is a tragedy for us, but we will fight back, and we will be here," Storm said. "It is not going to put us down."
Until then, the curtains will stay closed and the lights off inside the theatre. Crews and the insurance are still inspecting the damage, but Arc is confident the community will support the theatre.
"The community always sticks together," Arc said. "They will come together and raise the money and it will all be taken care of."
Arc is just thankful no one was hurt when the roof came down.
"They knew to shut the theatre down to keep everybody safe," Arc said. "That is a pretty big guardian angel."
All events at the theatre are closed through at least the end of May, but this could change depending on how quickly repairs are made.
Kahi Radio also shared the building with the theatre and an employee there told CBS13 they worked remotely on Wednesday to be safe. There is still no timeline for how long the theatre will be closed.
If you would like to support the Auburn State Theatre, its annual fundraiser begins Thursday. Storm hopes they will have more updates on the theatre's status soon.
