The Princess Theatre is a 677-seat performing arts venue in

Decatur, Alabama Decatur (dɪˈkeɪtə(r)) is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County (with a portion also in Limestone County) in the U.S. state of Alabama. Nicknamed "The River City", it is located in northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler La ...

. The

art deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

-style building was originally built in 1887 as a livery stable. In 1919, the building was transformed into a silent film and

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

playhouse. In 1941 the Princess received its

redesign. A bright neon marque which displays the name was installed around the same time. Local architect Albert Frahn painted the interior in burgundy and gray, with glow-in-the-dark murals. Outside the doors, the floor is paved with

terrazzo Terrazzo is a composite material, poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of chips of marble, quartz, granite, glass, or other suitable material, poured with a cementitious binder (for chemical bind ...

in a map of

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

, that marks the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other name ...

and City of Decatur. In 1978, the city of Decatur purchased The Princess after it closed as a movie house. The city gave the theatre a $750,000 renovation, and the stage was again open as the premier performing arts venue for the Decatur area. The building was listed on the

Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage The Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage, commonly referred to as the Alabama Register, is an official listing of buildings, sites, structures, objects, and districts deemed worthy of preservation in the U.S. state of Alabama. These properties ...

in 1981.

The Princess and education

Annually, the Princess hosts 60,000 customers, 20,000 of whom are students and teachers. Professional performers regularly visit Decatur to perform during school hours for arts education. The theater also sponsors performers that visit the local

Decatur City Schools The Decatur City Schools is a school system located in the city of Decatur, Alabama, and is home to seven of Alabama's International Baccalaureate schools. The school system is also the second largest employer in Decatur. Basic Overview Decatur ...

to teach in the schools.

Future renovation and restoration efforts

The City of Decatur completed renovation in the Sexton Lobby and in the future to restore The Princess to the way it looked during the time period of the 1950s and 1960s. This includes removing paint that covers the murals painted by Albert Frahn. Efforts have created a large reception area adjacent and connected to the main theatre. It includes additional second floor access, concessions, restrooms, dressing rooms, as well as a second entrance to the building was completed in April 2009.

Gallery

Image:Comedy and tragedy masks from the Princess Theatre, Decatur, AL image by Marjorie Kaufman.jpg, Comedy and tragedy masks from the Princess Theatre, Decatur, AL

References

The Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts
(2004–2006)

External links

Official Princess Theatre website
{{Commons category, Princess Theatre (Decatur, Alabama), position=left Buildings and structures in Decatur, Alabama Theatres in Alabama Cinemas and movie theaters in Alabama Theatres completed in 1887 Historic district contributing properties in Alabama Streamline Moderne architecture in Alabama National Register of Historic Places in Morgan County, Alabama Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama