WKTV Archive
UTICA, N.Y. — World Theatre Day highlights the importance of theater as an art form and encourages people around the world to celebrate its value.
A Day Dedicated to Theater
World Theatre Day is observed on March 27 each year and was started in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute.
The day is meant to remind us about the role theater plays in society and its potential to support economic growth.
Other goals of the holiday include making people aware of theater’s value; helping the theater community promote their work; sharing the inspiration of live performance; showing the cultural diversity of theater; and encouraging mutual understanding and peace, according to world-theatre-day.org.
The Stanley
The Stanley Theatre in Utica stands as a local example of lasting influence.
Originally built as a movie palace, the Stanley opened on Sept. 10, 1928, at 261 Genesee St. with just under 3,000 seats.
It was constructed in 13 months and designed by Thomas Lamb, an architect known for his work on theaters and cinemas.
The Stanley is one of three remaining Lamb theaters in upstate New York, along with Proctors Theatre in Schenectady and the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse.
Lamb designed the movie palace for the Mastbaum chain of theaters, naming it for Stanley, one of the Mastbaum brothers.
The theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
From the Archive
Here’s a story that aired in the early 1980s that highlighted the remodeling taking place at the time.Â
The story below aired for WKTV’s 40th anniversary back in 1989.Â
World Theatre Day highlights the importance of theater as an art form and encourages people around the world to celebrate its value.