138 - The Historic Elsinore Theatre

, originally uploaded by carolfoasia.

We went to see a musical today in Salem. I always love coming to this theatre built in 1926. The Elsinore received its name from Shakespeare’s immortal tragedy, "Hamlet." The design is based on the historic Elsinore Castle in Denmark which is believed to be the setting William Shakespeare chose for Hamlet. It was host to silent movies, vaudeville, and promising new performers, including Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Otis Skinner, Clark Gable and the John Phillip Sousa Marine Band. It was slated to be demolished in 1980 but concerned citizens saved it, and it was totally refurbished between 2002-2004. It is a gorgeous theatre.

I learned this is a "proscenium theatre" and this is a "proscenium arch" you see in the picture above. Here is a bit of history about this part of the theatre:

"Original ceiling panels, balcony breasts, and proscenium arch panels were designed, engineered and fabricated by Louis Gluck of Seattle. Each little fan on the proscenium arch had to be engineered differently to make a symmetrical pattern fit into an asymmetrical space. Close examination reveals two different curves. The shape of the panels change as the arch comes down the sides. The left-hand side of the arch honors Mr. Guthrie’s family with a shield of Scotland. His family’s crest is located on the seventh panel up from the left. Mrs. Guthrie’s family is similarly recognized with a shield of Norway, and her family’s crest is the seventh panel up from the right.

There are no high-tech solutions to cleaning historic plasterwork. EverGreene crews stood on scaffolding high above the auditorium stage and used over ten gallons of Simple Green and dozens of disposable two-inch, white bristle brushes to remove the decades of accumulated nicotine, dirt and grime from the theatre’s splendid proscenium arch. Using a hose, a common garden sprayer and a drainage system fashioned from towels, rags, and plastic bags they rinsed the artwork and disposed of the filthy water. The cleaning process took weeks. Once it was completed artists restored the decorative paintings and then sealed them with a removable, conservation varnish specifically designed to protect artwork from dirt and deterioration."

Here is the front and a "me on the street self-portrait."