State Wayne Theater

The State Wayne Theatre is a motion picture theatre located in Wayne, Michigan. Each month more than 8,500 people visit the State Wayne Theatre which is owned and operated by Phoenix Theatres and is located at 35310 Michigan Avenue. The theatre includes Christie digital projectors and 7.1 Dolby Digital sound in every auditorium. It also boasts one of the only theatres in Michigan to offer 100 percent electric reclining seats in each auditorium. The theatre is a first run theatre and plays the latest Hollywood blockbusters. Phoenix State Wayne Theatre is the home of the "Rocky Horror Picture Show Experience," with Wayne's live shadow cast - The Michigan Rocky Horror Preservation Society on the second and forth Saturday of every month.

http://www.phoenixmovies.net/loc_statewayne

History

The theatre was built in 1946 at the close of World War II by the Walter Shafer family. Sons Martin and Charles Shafer were actively associated with the management of the theatre for decades. The theatre opened as a single screen 1,500 seat venue. Phoenix Theatres took over management of the city-owned theater in August 2012. In their first full year attendance is up 20 percent over the prior year. In a year that included hosting a movie premiere and sold-out showings of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Phoenix Theatres, operators of the State Wayne, has been honored by the Wayne Chamber of Commerce as Wayne's "Business of the Year" for 2013. The theatre was purchased by Phoenix Theatres in September 2014 and was renovated to feature 100 percent reclining seating in every auditorium.

The Mural

On the side of the State Wayne Theatre there is a hand painted mural. "The theme of the Wayne History Mural is, A Road Runs Through It and is clearly seen in the top section of the mural.The dark brick bands of the building are thought of a roadway presenting a transportation timeline history of Wayne. The mural is big, covering the majority of the east wall of the State-Wayne Theatre. In the photo above, the top sections of the mural, on the left and right sides, are not shown in their entirety.

The mural panels are painted in shades of the brick building color to create the illusion that they are ornamental carvings used in art-deco architecture. This painting style is called, “Trompe L’oeil Grisaille.” The mural depicts Wayne through four categories:

The Wayne History Mural is the result of the hard work and dedication of many, including the Wayne City Council, the Downtown Development Authority, the 2020 Committee and many friends. The artists are David Fichter and Joshua Winer with the help of Anthony Ivezaj.The idea of creating public art was developed during Michigan Gov. Granholm’s “Cool Cities” initiative in 2003. From that initiative, City Council formed the 2020 Committee. After, many discussions and meetings, the committee recommended to City Council that a Wayne History Mural should be painted on the east wall of the State-Wayne Theater. Council approved and the mural was created.The State-Wayne Theater is a community icon with its beautiful art deco marquee and dancing lights announcing this week’s feature presentations. The theater was purchased by the City in 1991 and completely renovated and made into a multiplex theatre with four auditoriums. The building also boasts a stage for live theater.

The mural was dedicated on October 16, 2007 and re-dedicated on October 28, 2008 following the completion of additional panels."

References

Coordinates: 42°16′59″N 83°23′12″W / 42.283°N 83.3867°W / 42.283; -83.3867

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