On the corner of Broad and Church Streets in Oriental stands a venue for the performing arts and entertainment. In the days of Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby, it was known as the Mart. Today, we call it the Old Theater. On May 13-14th, there was a celebration of the landmark’s 70th anniversary with live music and old timers reminiscing about the theater’s varied history.
Sally Belangia, an Oriental native, remembers watching a movie at the theater as a young girl.
“It was a spooky movie, it was in black and white and I remember eating popcorn and having a cold cola and my sister was beside me. And when the movie was over, I was so scared she had to walk me home holding my hand.”
In the sailing capital of North Carolina, much of the history about the Old Theater is preserved through local lore. Which Stage Production Manager Judi Heit says can complicate things.
“It makes me smile to see how they all when through this period together, but their recollections are different. It’s like doing genealogy.”
In preparation for the 70th anniversary, she says they’ve been doing interviews with folks who remember going to the Old Theater as a kid, or performing on stage as an adult. Publicity Manger Carol Small has also played a key role in collecting memories from lifelong residents to try and piece together the theater’s history.
“There are two beginnings. The first beginning is in 1946 when George Merritt who lived in Swansboro built a theater there and decided to build a theater in Oriental. And he named it the Mart Theater after his wife Margret.”
The first film to be shown was Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies,” released in October 1946. It’s thought the theater was built around the same time.
“Margret didn’t like living in Oriental, it was too quiet, it was too tame for her. So he sold the theater to Hubert and Tom Smith.”
The Mart Theater was open for about three years before it changed hands. The new owners renovated the theater’s balcony and projection room and added restrooms. Some remember paying a dime to see movies like “The Golden Mistress” or “Pete Kelly’s Blues.” Others say it was a quarter. In those days, the Mart Theater was segregated. African Americans were required to use a side entrance and sit in a separate viewing area. Sally Belangia remembers.
“Well, I didn’t understand it. The white people went downstairs and the black people went upstairs. I just didn’t understand what was going on, I was little.”
When T.V.s became popular during the 1950s, interest in the theater waned and it was eventually shuttered. The building languished for three decades until a local group called the Pelican Players rented it for rehearsal and storage space. However, the theater was unfit for public events because it was in such bad shape; no electricity, no plumbing and no bathrooms.
Instead of seeing the theater as an eyesore to be demolished, Production manager Judi Heit says people in the community reimbursed the space as a performing arts center.
“A fellow named Clem Paffe, he was a resident of Oriental at the time, he would ride by that building and wonder, like, ‘wouldn’t it be nice if…’ And he asked around and found out there were other people with the same thought and soon after, some interested citizens got together to talk about renovating the theater and turning it back into something that could be used by the community.”
And that is what marks the story of the second beginning. In 1992, the Old Theater Corporation was formed to acquire the building and renovate it, yet again. The interior was completely gutted and refurbished, a professional lighting and sound system was installed as well as a new stage and curtains. The first president of the Old Theater Corporation Evelyn Stephenson remembers the grueling task of removing all 159 seats and restoring them.
“The men of the congregation took it to the shed and they began to clean them up. They found 11 pounds of chewing gum underneath the seats.”
On March 15th, 1995, the theater opened to the public again. The Pelican Players continued to use the facility as a rehearsal and storage space, but they also held performances there too. The theater was also rented to local groups like the Pamlico Musical Society for concerts. Now, more than two decades later, the Old Theater still serves as an arts and cultural hub in Pamlico County, bringing in a variety of musical acts and theater performances each year and not straying far from its roots, you can still go to the Old Theater to catch a flick. Publicity Manger Carol Small says the theater is being used more today than it ever has.
“About two weeks ago, we showed “Blue Skies” in the theater again and we are a population of a certain age, most of us are. So this movie from 1946 was very popular in 2016 with us.”
The next event at the Old Theater is the big 70th Anniversary Celebration Gala Friday May 13th and Saturday, May 14th. It features local musicians and storytelling by longtime Oriental residents sharing their memories of their much loved theater.
“Ken Belangia will be there, the Del Rios, Harbor Sounds, you may be familiar with the bluegrass of the Harbor Sounds, Moore’s Creek Bluegrass, Saltwater Acoustics and the Opry Band are the ones we have listed right now. As the bands change positions behind the stage, we will have storytellers coming out in front of the curtain to tell these great stories.”
Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance or at the door. Proceeds will keep the Old Theater up to snuff and help in projects, such as replacing the HVAC system, repairing the roof and new seats.
“They are the original seats from 1946. And we have added cushions and we have done repairs, but they are wooden seats and we need to replace them with better ones.”
For more information on the 70th Anniversary event at the Old Theater Friday and Saturday, go to publicradioeast.org and click on the Events Calendar. While you’re in Oriental, make sure to stop by the History Museum and see the original projector from the Mart Theater on display.
