Address:
432 State Street
Schenectady, NY

Owner: Proctor’s Theatre

Completion Date: 1997

Historic Proctor’s Theatre opened its doors to the public on December 26, 1926. The 2,700 seat theater was built by local theatrical entrepreneur Frederick Francis Proctor, and designed by the prominent theater architect Thomas Lamb. Access to the theater is through the original two-story high commercial arcade leading to the grand and opulent lobbies. The auditorium, which contains a large orchestra section and a full balcony, was originally designed to accommodate cinema and live vaudeville acts. The interior features a grand proscenium arch flanked by two bays of projecting boxes, defined by four classical columns of "Scangleola" construction. These columns support the curved ribs of the hemispherical walls culminating in the grand elliptical dome which dominates the interior. The details of the interior are highlighted with Dutch bronze leaf which is an alloy of gold and bronze. Plaster surfaces and elements were painted in a subtle combination of creams highlighted with tinted glazes and accented with muted pastel colors. After a decline of patronage in the 1960s, the theater was purchased by a non-profit organization to operate the theater and develop an aggressive program of events. The theater underwent interior refurbishing in the late 1970s, but because of limited funds and a unrealistic schedule, the repainting of the ceiling was not accurately executed in a manner consistent with good preservation practice.

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