It Takes A Village
As one might expect, it takes a very skilled team to keep a historic theater up and running. This can include long days, late nights, and lots of dedication, determination, and outside-the-box thinking.
Of course, we have the interaction with the [Gettysburg College] Sunderman Conservatory. They do the programming, but we provide all the support. My production team lights their shows, does their sound—we provide all the technical services. We put the acoustical shell up and down. We run the box office for them.
Jeffrey Gabel, executive director of the Majestic Theater
A Renovation Worth $16 Million
By the end of the 1990’s, the Majestic Theater needed some love. The decision to chop it up into a generic multiplex in the 1980’s left it dingy and lifeless. With Gettysburg College in ownership, a huge renovation was planned and executed from 1999 to 2005.
The Majestic Theater boasts a main theater/auditorium that seats 950, two additional cinemas for daily movies, an art gallery, a patron’s lounge for events, and a restaurant at the front.
With such a variety of spaces and technological needs, the renovation was going to take millions: $16.5 million, to be exact. It required intricate planning, detail, fundraising, and dedication from a multitude of determined employees, faculty, staff, donors, sponsors, and volunteers.
The following photographs and statistics provide some of the context of the massive renovation, in the hopes of providing a small idea of how much effort it took to accomplish.
Renovation statistics:
• More than 500 companies and individuals donated to make the 2005 renovation a success
• The Majestic received $8.5 million in economic redevelopment grants from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for the renovation
• Donations for the renovation from the Adams County community added up to $4 million over a three-year period
• Over 40 contractors were involved in the 35,000-square foot renovation, as well as a 15,000-square foot addition
Renovation Overview: Main Auditorium
Features of the main theater:
• 950 plush red seats
• Marble columns framing the stage
• Stained-glass chandeliers
• Grand velvet curtains
• Gold-pressed tin ceiling
Fundraising for a Future
The fundraising and programming is crucial for any independent and small-town theater, but was even more so during the renovation phase of the Majestic Theater.
Options for donors included donations to dedicate a chair with a small plaque, donations to dedicate a bronze star with your name on the floor of the art gallery, and donations to dedicate many of the spaces in the theater, from performer dressing rooms to bathrooms.
A Personal Touch
Part of what makes independent theaters so special is the unique experience they provide that remains unmatched when it comes to multiplex and chain movie theaters.
We’ve really built a loyal audience for [the Summer Classic Film Series], and I have always loved classic films myself. It’s a very close interest to my heart, and what we’ve done over the best 12 summers, we’ve built a habit of coming Wednesday nights. They always know at least June, July, and August on Wednesday there’s going to be a classic film, so if it’s one you want to see, you come…We have people that come year after year after year, and I always greet them at the front door. We’ve developed a wonderful relationship with that core audience.
Jeffrey Gabel, executive director of the Majestic Theater
The Show Must Go On
The Majestic Theater team has to be ready to go no matter what, rain or shine. The arts wait for no one!
The Majestic Theater on a winter afternoon 
The Majestic peeks out from Carlisle Street during a snowstorm
