Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage

Infobox Venue
name = Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage


image_caption = The Stanley showing "Cookin' at the Cookery" in August 2007
nickname =
location = 2750 Granville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia
coordinates =
type = Live theatre (former movie palace)
broke_ground =
built =
opened = December 15, 1930
expanded =
closed = September 21, 1991 and Reopened October 28, 1998
demolished =
owner = Arts Club Theatre Company (formerly owned by Famous Players)
former_names = Stanley Theatre
Stanley Theatre du Maurier Stage
seating_type =
seating_capacity = 650 (formerly 1,216)The Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage (formerly the Stanley Theatre) is a landmark theatre at 12th and Granville Street in Vancouver, British Columbia which serves as the main stage for the Arts Club Theatre Company. The Stanley first opened as a movie theatre in December 1930, and showed movies for over sixty years before falling revenues led to its closure in 1991. After years of threatened commercial redevelopment, the Stanley was renovated as a stage theatre in 1997–1998 and subsequently awarded status as a heritage building.

As a stage for the Arts Club, the Stanley has been used to put on classics, Broadway musicals and other large productions, including "Swing!", "My Fair Lady", "Miss Saigon" and "Disney's Beauty and the Beast". The theatre, which went through major fundraising to finance its renovations and mortgage, at one stage lost its sponsor du Maurier due to tobacco regulations, but in 2005 received new sponsorship from Industrial Alliance Pacific Life Insurance Company and the theatre's name was changed to the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage.

Movie theatre

The Stanley opened on December 15, 1930.cite web |url=http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Stanley%20Theatre%20duMaurier%20Stage |title= Stanley Theatre duMaurier Stage |accessdate=2008-06-18 |work=Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia |date= ] Originally envisioned as a vaudeville venue,cite web |url= http://www.where.ca/vancouver/article_feature~listing_id~119.htm |title= Things That Go Bump in the Night: Unearthly spirit sightings at a local landmark |accessdate=2008-05-09 |author= Mathison, Emily |date= |work= Where Vancouver |publisher=] it was built by Frederick Guest, owner of a chain of theatres in Ontario, who reportedly fell in love with Vancouver and decided to build his dream theatre there.cite web |title= Celebrating Our History: The Stanley Theatre—South Granville's Beating Heart |work= South Granville Business Association Newsletter |url= http://www.southgranville.org/pdfs/sgbia_newsletter_april2007web.pdf |format=PDF |accessdate= 2008-05-09 ] He hired Henry Holdsby Simmons as the architect,cite web |url= http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/960730/p1.htm |title= Policy Report Development and Building: Proposed Rezoning of 2750 Granville Street (Stanley Theatre) |accessdate= 2008-05-23 |author= |date= 1996-07-12 |work= |publisher= Vancouver City Council] who designed it with a neoclassical interior and an Art Deco exterior,cite web |url= http://vancouverneon.com/page_q/stanley%20theatre%20granville%20vancouver.htm |title= The Stanley swings open: A $5.8 million upgrade brings the theatre back to its Big Band heyday |accessdate=2008-03-30 |author= Inwood, Damian |date= 1998-10-26 |work= Vancouver Neon |publisher=] with seating for 1,216 people. In order to make as high quality a theatre as possible, Simmons only used the best materials he could find, including tindle stone from Winnipeg and tiles from Italy, along with chandaliers, carpets and furnishings from local merchants. Like the Stanley Cup and Stanley Park, the theatre was named after Governor General of Canada Lord Stanley.

The first film shown at the Stanley was "One Romantic Night", starring Lillian Gish.cite web |url= http://www.boardoftrade.com/vbot_sb_search.asp?pageID=178&sbsearch=jansson&searchissue=All&ArticleID=913&IssueID=56&offset=&sbpage=SD |title= The Stanley Theatre swings into action |accessdate=2008-05-01 |author= |date= Winter 1998 |work= The Vancouver Board of Trade Sounding Board |publisher=] Admission was originally between 10 and 40 cents. The vertical Stanley sign was added in 1940 and the stylized Stanley script came in 1957. The cinema, which had been part of the Granville Theatre Company, was bought by Famous Players in 1941 for $268,000.

The Stanley was originally built as a neighbourhood theatre, but gradually became more popular and attracted moviegoers from throughout the Vancouver region. From the 1950s to the 1980s, progressively improved sound and projection systems along with refurbished seating added to the theatre's appeal. On July 8, 1954 the Stanley used stereophonic sound for the first time,cite web |url= http://web.ncf.ca/az896/06v.htm |title= Stereophonic 35mm motion picture exhibition at Vancouver 1953/1954 |accessdate= 2008-05-17 |work= |date= 2008-05-15] and the following year was equipped to show films in Cinemascope. By November 1958,cite web |url= http://web.ncf.ca/az896/01.htm#vancouver |title= Large-frame motion picture exhibition at Vancouver 1954-1974 |accessdate=2008-05-07 |work= |date= 2007-09-05] the theatre had a DP70 70mm projector, [cite web |url= http://www.in70mm.com/dp70/country/canada/index.htm |title= DP70s in Canada|accessdate= 2008-05-06 |author= Hauerslev, Thomas |date= 2008-01-24 |work= |publisher=] which at the time was advertised as "the only Todd-AO in Western Canada." On October 18, 1978 the auditorium was equipped with Dolby Stereo, [cite web |url= http://web.ncf.ca/az896/05v.htm |title= Vancouver—Dolby Six-Track Stereo installations |accessdate= 2008-05-07 |work= |date= 2007-09-05] and in November–December 1985 its sound system was upgraded and certified to THX quality assurance standards.cite web |url= http://web.ncf.ca/az896/03v.htm |title= Large-frame motion picture exhibition at Vancouver 1983-1997 |accessdate= 2008-05-07 |work= |date= 2007-09-05 ]

The Stanley often showed blockbusters. Some movies shown at the theatre through the years included "Duel in the Sun", "Knock on Any Door", [cite web |url= http://movie-theatre.org/canada/bc/vancouver/1950.gif|title= Movie listings for January 6, 1950 |accessdate=2008-06-18 |work= Rivest's Ultimate list of movie theatres |date= ] "Ben-Hur", "Mutiny on the Bounty", "Doctor Zhivago", ', "The Exorcist", [cite web |url= http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5675185/ |title= Original "Exorcist" was an event |accessdate= 2008-04-26 |author= Hartl, John |date= 2004-08-19 |work= |publisher= MSNBC] "The Towering Inferno", [cite web |url= http://movie-theatre.org/canada/bc/vancouver/1975.gif|title= Movie listings for January 2, 1975 |accessdate= 2008-05-15 |work= Rivest's Ultimate list of movie theatres |date= ] "The Muppet Movie",cite web |url= http://web.ncf.ca/az896/02v.htm |title= Large-frame and/or stereophonic motion picture exhibition at Vancouver 1974-1982 |accessdate= 2008-05-07 |work= |date= 2007-09-05] "Apocolypse Now", ', [cite web |url= http://movie-theatre.org/canada/starwars/starwars.htm |title= Star Wars Grand Opening Dates in Canada |accessdate= 2008-05-15 |work= Rivest's Ultimate list of movie theatres |date= ] "The Elephant Man", "Poltergeist", "The Right Stuff", "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", "Top Gun", "The Untouchables", "Stakeout", "Empire of the Sun", "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", and "Goodfellas". [cite web |url= http://www.straight.com/article-121171/goodfellas?# |title= Movie Reviews: "Goodfellas" |accessdate= 2008-04-26 |author= Eisner, Ken |date= 1990-09-27 |work= The Georgia Straight |publisher=]

Revenues declined during the late 20th century, and Famous Players closed the Stanley, which was by then the oldest operating movie theatre in Vancouver,Citation | last = Aird | first = Elizabeth | title = Save Our Stanley: Fans fight sale of city's oldest movie house | newspaper = The Vancouver Sun. | pages = | year = | date = April 1991 ] on September 25, 1991 after a final showing of the Stanley regular "Fantasia"cite web |url= http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/chronology1991.htm |title= The History of Metropolitan Vancouver 1991 |accessdate= 2007-12-22 |work= The History of Metropolitan Vancouver|date= ] (the theatre had previously shown "Fantasia" at least four times, in 1977, 1979, 1980–1981 and 1990). Its closure was part of a long trend: The number of Famous Players theatres had dropped from 419 in 1954 to 196 in 1969, and would fall to eighty, some in partnership with other companies, by the time it was taken over by Cineplex Galaxy Entertainment in 2005. [cite web |url= http://www.cineplex.com/Global/Corporate/CorporateHistory.aspx |title= Cineplex Entertainment Corporate History |accessdate= 2008-05-13 |work= |date= ] Other Vancouver-area Famous Players movie theatres closed, sold or torn down in this period included the Regent (1958),cite web |title=Vancouver Movie Theatres L–Z |work= Rivest's Ultimate list of movie theatres |url=http://movie-theatre.org/canada/bc/vancouver/vancouver2.pdf |format= PDF |accessdate= 2005-05-15 ] the Strand (1973),cite web |url= http://www.cinematour.com/theatres/ca/BC/4.html |title= British Columbia Theatres (Page 4) |accessdate= 2008-05-14 |work= Cinema Tour: Cinema History Around the World |date= ] the original Capitol (1974), [cite web |url= http://www.pstos.org/instruments/bc/vancouver/capitol.htm |title= The End |accessdate=2008-05-13 |author= Chapman, Aaron |date= 2005-04-02 |work= The Puget Sound Pipeline Online |publisher=] the Orpheum (1974), [cite web |url= http://www.clubzone.com/c/Vancouver/Stadium_Convention_Centre/Orpheum_Theatre.html |title= Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, BC |accessdate= 2008-05-13 |work= Club Zone |date= ] [cite web |url= http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/theatres/orpheum/orpheum.html |title= Welcome to the Orpheum |accessdate=2008-06-01 |publisher= Vancouver Civic Theatres |date= ] the Fine Arts (1989),cite web |url= http://www.cinematour.com/theatres/ca/BC/3.html |title= British Columbia Theatres (Page 3) |accessdate= 2008-05-14 |work= Cinema Tour: Cinema History Around the World |date= ] cite web |title=Vancouver Movie Theatres A–K |work= Rivest's Ultimate list of movie theatres |url=http://movie-theatre.org/canada/bc/vancouver/vancouver3.pdf |format= PDF |accessdate= 2005-05-15 ] Denman Place (1989), Park Royal (1993),cite web |title= North Shore Movie Theatres |work= Rivest's Ultimate list of movie theatres |url=http://movie-theatre.org/canada/bc/vancouver/vancouver4.pdf |format= PDF |accessdate= 2005-05-15 ] the Park (2005), [cite web |url= http://www.businessedge.ca/article.cfm/newsID/9801.cfm |title= Classic movie fan turns into screen saver |accessdate= 2008-06-11 |author= Stewart, Monte |date= 2005-09-06 |work= Business Edge |publisher= ] and the Capitol 6 (2005). [cite web |url= http://cinematreasures.org/theater/11053/ |title= Capitol 6 Theatre |accessdate=2008-05-13 |work= Cinema Treasures |date= ]

Renovation

Famous Players put the Stanley up for sale in the spring of 1991, with the condition that it not be used as a movie theatre.cite web |title= Adaptive Re-use: Learning from Vancouver |author= Kalmon, Harold |url= http://www.macauheritage.net/vision/pdf/vision_179.pdf |format= PDF |accessdate= 2008-05-22 ] In the months leading up to the Stanley's closure, Famous Players had a conditional sale agreement for the theatre with Vancouver developer Sandy Cox, who was planning to keep the Stanley's facade and convert the interior into retail space. The Vancouver City Council received a proposal to change the building to retail use, which it approved, but the planned development was abandoned, and the building remained vacant for several years. During the early 1990s, a "Save Our Stanley" campaign was begun to preserve the building and prevent commercial redevelopment of the space.cite web |title= Beyond Anectdotal Evidence: The Spillover Effects of Investments in Cultural Facilities |author= Jones, Ken, et al. |publisher= CSCA |date= 2003 |url= http://www.csca.ryerson.ca/research/culture/ArtScapeShow.pdf |format= PDF |accessdate= 2008-04-07 ] cite web |url= http://www.boardoftrade.com/sov_page.asp?pageID=1595 |title= Stanley Theatre moves to the next stage with $1.5 million donation |accessdate= 2007-12-22 |publisher= The Spirit of Vancouver |date= 2005-04-05 ] In 1994 the Stanley Theatre Society was formed to try to buy the Stanley for the Arts Club Theatre Company, and in 1997 it purchased the theatre from Famous Players for $3,173,000. Renovation costs, including sound and lighting equipment, came to $5.8 million, which brought the costs of purchase and renovation to about $9 million,cite web |url= http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/westcoastnews/story.html?id=3820d6fb-19e6-4b39-9a55-dc59bbd4ecbd |title= Call them irresponsible |accessdate= 2008-04-05 |author= Parry, Malcolm |date= 2008-02-16 |work= The Vancouver Sun |publisher=] $1.5 million more than the $7.5 million originally budgeted.cite web |url= http://www.straight.com/article/industrial-strength-sponsor-for-stanley |title= Industrial-Strength Sponsor for Stanley |accessdate= 2008-04-20 |author= Thomas, Colin |date= 2005-04-07 |work= The Georgia Straight |publisher=] Money came from fundraising campaigns by the Arts Club and Vancouver TheatreSports, at least $3.9 million from the provincial and federal government, [cite web |url= http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/CTYCLERK/CCLERK/970529/pe-a1.htm |title= Canada-B.C. Infrastructure Works Program, Phase II—Soft Infrastructure Projects |accessdate= 2008-05-08 |publisher= Vancouver City Council |date= 1997-05-21 ] a $100,000 grant from the City of Vancouver, the purchase of a density transfer to the One Wall Centre [cite web |url= http://www.busby.ca/clients/9608wall/index.htm |title= One Wall Centre |accessdate= 2008-06-01 |publisher= Busby, Perkins + Will |date= ] by Peter Wall for $1.2 million, [cite web |url= http://www.vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/960926/pemin.htm |title= Committee Reports |accessdate= 2008-05-23 |publisher= Vancouver City Council |date= 1996-09-26 ] as well as corporate sponsorship by du Maurier, who contributed $1.2 million—although du Maurier would later withdraw as a sponsor because of federal restrictions on tobacco advertising. [cite web |url= http://airspace.bc.ca/breathersa039-digest-mainmenu-57/73-breathers-digest-/117-breathers-digest-fall-2007-|title= |accessdate= 2008-04-07 |title= Provincial Government funds Players ad |author= Ander, Marc |date= 2007-10-22 |work= Breather's Digest |publisher=] The final stage of this fundraising was the Stanley Theatre Mortgage Buster Campaign, an attempt to get the Stanley opened mortgage-free, co-chaired by actor Jackson Davies and Richmond Savings CEO Harri Jannson. [cite web |url= http://www.yourlibrary.ca/community/richmondreview/archive/RR19980819/lulu.html |title= Lulu's News |accessdate= 2008-06-24 |author= Sweet, Lulu |date= 1998-08-19 |work= The Richmond Review |publisher=]

Architects including Thom Weeks and Jennifer Stanley led renovations of the Stanley into a live theatre. Weeks was initially disappointed with the state of the pre-renovated theatre, which looked "pretty tired" with its aged orange walls and sticky, soft drink-stained carpets. However, by the time the renovations were completed, and the actors and musicians were getting ready to first perform in it, there was a general feeling of excitement about the theatre. Renovations included expansion of the lobby, reconfiguration of the balcony, an expansion of the stage to twice its original size, a new twenty-five metre fly tower from which to raise and lower scenery, new dressing rooms, a trap room, an electrical room and a green room backstage, a reduction of the number of seats from 1,216 to 650, a crush bar in the old projection booth, a section cut out of the theatre's dome to use for spotlights, and a full restoration of the theatre's gold-leafed plaster decorations.cite web |url= http://lightingdesign.ca/portfolio/perform.html |title= The Stanley Theatre, Vancouver, BC |accessdate= 2008-04-20 |publisher= Total Lighting Solutions |date= ] As a result of these renovations, in 1999 the theatre was awarded a City of Vancouver Heritage Award, [cite web |url= http://vancouver.ca/commsvcs/planning/heritage/awards/awardwinners.htm |title= City of Vancouver Heritage Award: 1999 Winners |accessdate= 2008-04-20 |publisher= City of Vancouver |date= ] as well as an IES International Illumination Design Award.

Effects on the local area

A 2003 study claimed the Stanley's renovation brought positive economic effects to the theatre's local area, bounded by 8th Street and 17th between Fir and Hemlock. According to the study, this area became more of a leisure/recreation destination, with many new culturally-related businesses, retail stores and service-related businesses opening. An increase in overall sales was noted and 76% of surveyed residents responded that the theatre's reopening had a positive effect on the community. Business respondents also reportedly had a positive view of the theatre's effects.

Live stage

After renovation, owing to du Maurier's sponsorship, the facility was named the Stanley Theatre du Maurier Stage, taken over by the Arts Club Theatre Company and later became their main stage.cite web |url= http://www.artsclub.com/about/index.htm |title= Company History |accessdate= 2008-05-15 |publisher= Arts Club Theatre Company |date= ] This venue has allowed the Arts Club to put on new kinds of shows, such as large musicals, classics and productions from around the world. The first production was "Swing!", which opened on October 28, 1998 and had a successful run,cite web |url= http://www.canadianencyclopedia.ca/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0010712 |title= Arts Club Theatre |accessdate= 2008-03-26 |author= Page, Malcolm |date= |work= The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher=] followed by "Hamlet". In addition to showing Arts Club productions, the theatre is rented out for other purposes, including business and educational presentations, and has been used for comedy acts and concerts, such as Lorne Elliott, [cite web |url= http://www.straight.com/article/comedy-critics-picks |title= Comedy Critics' Picks |accessdate= 2008-04-04 |author= MacPherson, Guy |date= 2006-03-02 |work= The Georgia Straight |publisher=] Francis Cabrel, [cite web |url= http://www.emarketing101.ca/blog/item/francis-cabrel-a-vancouver-le-11-juillet-2007/ |title= Francis Cabrel à Vancouver le 11 Juillet 2007 |accessdate= 2008-06-18 |language= French |publisher= eMarketing101 |date= 2007-06-13 ] and RyanDan. [cite web |url= http://eventful.com/vancouver/events/ryandan-/E0-001-012334029-5 |title= RyanDan |accessdate= 2008-06-18 |publisher= Eventful |date= ]

By 2005 du Maurier had withdrawn as a sponsor and, along with its over-budget renovation costs, the Stanley was left with a $2 million mortgage. That year Industrial Alliance Pacific Life Insurance Company made a $1.5 million donation, and on April 5 the theatre was renamed the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage for the next twenty years.

Productions

ee also

*List of heritage buildings in Vancouver
*Theatre in Canada
*South Granville Rise
*Orpheum (Vancouver)

Notes

External links

* [http://www.artsclub.com/ The Arts Club]
* [http://www.artsclub.com/20082009/onstage/videos/season/stanley.html Bill Millerd, Artistic Managing Director, announces the 2008/2009 season at the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage.]
* [http://www.worldexposure.net/artsclub/stanley/pan1/index.html Virtual tour of the Stanley]
* [http://movie-theatre.org/canada/starwars/5vancouver.jpg"The Empire Strikes Back" advertisement at the Stanley]