Dates to Remember - Time Line in History

AUGUST 1927
Construction begins

FEBRUARY 1928
Thousands stand in subzero weather to attend the opening of the new $600,000.00 theatre palace on February 18. Movie stars including Reginald Denny, Charlie Chaplin and Laura La Plante sent congratulatory telegrams.

MAY 1928
Fireproofing aside, a short circuit in the ticket office causes a fire and about $1,000.00 worth of damage.

NOVEMBER 1928
Uncle Tom’s Cabin is the theatre’s first sound picture.

JUNE 1930
Warner Brothers takes over the Sheboygan Theatre. It had owned the Majestic since August 1929.

AUGUST 1943
A capacity crowd shows up for the premiere of “This is the Army,” which raises $3,300.00 for the Army Emergency Relief Fund.

MARCH 1946
Warner Brothers raises its weekend evening price to 60¢, setting off a letter writing campaign by students. The company eventually agrees to special student’s rates, including 45¢ on weekday evenings.

FEBRUARY 1953
John Wayne, Danny Thomas, Virginia Mayor, Eddie Cantor, Peggy Lee, Doris Day, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis wire congrats on the theatre’s 25th anniversary.

1967
Marcus Corporation remodels the interior of the theatre with Mediterranean colors.

SEPTEMBER 1968
The theatre’s Wurlitzer organ is played for the last time before being trucked off to a pizza parlor in Chicago.

APRIL 1980
Marcus drills dozens of holes in the blue sky dome ceiling to install a false drop ceiling and builds twin theatres within the auditorium.

1992
Sixty-four years after it opened, the theatre closes its doors and will stand vacant and idle for the next five years.

SEPTEMBER 1996
The Sheboygan Community Theatre Foundation (SCTF) is formed and files articles of incorporation with the State.

DECEMBER 1996
On New Year’s Eve, SCTF, Inc. acquires the theatre building and all equipment from Marcus at a cost of $50,000.00—well below the building’s assessed valuation.

APRIL 1997
Volunteers dismantle drywall shell of the "twinned" theater, revealing for the first item in decades the magnificent Spanish castle decor, ornate plaster walls and star-studded ceiling.

MAY and JUNE 1997
Extensive evaluation of the building by engineers and architects finds a structurally sound building with no gross defects.

AUTUMN 1997
A new industrial roof is installed to guard against further leaks and weather damage.

WINTER 1997
Artisans from Conrad Schmitt Studios of New Berlin, Wisconsin, spend three weeks renovating a 20-foot wide section of the theatre to illustrate before and after effects of the planned restoration.

SPRING 1998
The theatre balcony is re-stepped with new concrete to provide for more spacious and comfortable seating for future patrons.

SUMMER 1998
The theatre auditorium floor is re-sloped to provide better viewing of the stage.

AUTUMN 1998
The orchestra pit is reconfigured and enlarged to double its former size.

SPRING 1999
Scaffolding is erected throughout the auditorium as artisans begin the painstaking restoration process.

JANUARY 2001
Plaster work in the historic lobby was completed. Painting has begun and other interior design efforts continue to make progress. The restoration effort carries on.