Bringing Back Main Character Energy

"The Bar Harbor Showplace" celebrates

Aug 24, 2024

BAR HARBOR—Imagine. It’s 1932, almost 100 years ago. It’s a Monday, not usually considered a big night on the town, even in a Bar Harbor summer season. It’s June 6.

And the lavish, the wealthy, the movers and the shakers, the elected officials are all waiting for one big thing: The 1932 Criterion Theatre to open its doors.

Just after 7 p.m., it happens. The doors open. Two separate shows play one after another and almost 2,000 people step inside the art deco theater for its first performances.

A speech by Julien Emery, the chair of the Bar Harbor Board of Selectmen starts things off. A seven-piece orchestra pulls in music, beats and melodies swirling around the theater. Vaudeville acts and Arsene Lupin, starring John & Lionel Barrymore, and Karen Morley follow, shown via Simplex projectors.

The Bangor Daily News exclaims that a “clever dog and a clever man,” Maxine and Bobby, perform a balancing show. The tumbling act, they report, “is a never to be forgotten masterpiece of art.”

George & Ethel McKay, the proprietors receive a huge basket of flowers and telegrammed well wishes from movie stars like Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, and John Barrymore were read aloud.

CELEBRATIONS

The Criterion began with a celebration.

The Criterion continues each year with more celebrations, more stories, and Thursday night was no exception as the theater held its annual fundraising gala at the Bar Harbor Club on West Street. Bo Jennings emceed. It was sponsored by Deborah M. Dyer, Cleary Law Offices, and 2 Cats Restaurant.

This year’s event featured food, beverages, a silent auction and live paddle raise all meant to raise money to support the theater. The Ryan Blotnick Quartet played brilliantly in the corner with a smooth precision that awed those who listened.

Chuck Colbert enthused about them from the back corner of the patio. It was hard, he thought, to get any better than that.

Illusionist, comedian, and all around fun-human, Phil Smith wandered the crowd with his blend of confident, kind, and joyous magic.

“This is amazing,” one woman enthused as he made two balls appear in her closed hand. “I am all in for this.”

The Criterion hopes that the community will be all in to support it, too. The gala, sponsorships, donations are integral to the theater’s survival.

As community theaters across the country close, the Bar Harbor theater’s survival to serve the community, to make those connections and stories, depends on donations, especially as electricity, heating costs, and building maintenance needs increase. Non-profit theaters are fragile beasts, especially when they’re over 90 years old.

However, this theater has already managed through COVID and has survived through multiple organizations and reorganizations. Executive Director Taylor Valarik, his staff, and the Criterion’s board hope to make it survive and thrive for much longer.

THEATERS AND COMMUNITY

In 2008, James Arvanitakis wrote that people must desire community before they find it. One of the places that they can find it is at the Criterion. Shadow casts recreate shows for audiences. Bands grace the stage, one after another. Children visit, sometimes take guitar lessons. Movies elicit communal gasps and cheers. In a time where screens take a lot of our time, a place like the Criterion is valuable specifically because it is a gathering place that focuses on the arts, focuses on the community, and on the needs people have for connection and art.

“Beyond its entertainment value, theatre plays a pivotal role in shaping communities and fostering social bonds,” Wayne Theater writes. “From local productions to community-driven initiatives, theatre offers a myriad of benefits that extend far beyond the stage.”

A community theater weaves into the community’s fabric. A town’s history, its values, its art, its stories are all reflected in local theater venues. Many theaters are considered a community’s soul. They become cultural hubs and can have an economic impact as well as places for community dialogue.

SHARING STORIES

The story of the Criterion Theatre itself, of the community that houses it, and of the people who step on its stage, interact with the performers, or sit in the audience and watch a live performance are all important to the continued success of the community space and the community itself.

Every story shared expands the theater. Every performance, every interaction, creates a bigger story for Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island.

The theater is one of only two of its kind that still exist in Maine. The theater has a lot of nooks and crannies in its basement and a feel of old school opulence. McKay had been jailed for bootlegging in the 1920s. At the theater, McKay began a bit more of a respectable outward facing life, hosting events for charities in the 760-seat venue. He also became a member of the Lion’s Club (a service club) and St. Savior’s Episcopal Church. There were four shows a week back then.

The June 4, 1932, Bangor Daily News headline wrote that McKay was a “popular Bar Harbor man.”

His wife is quoted as saying, “I am proud of our new theater, and hope that folks will like it.”

They have and they do.

In 2012, the theater moved toward its latest incarnation when Michael Boland created a nonprofit, the structure was restored, and an anonymous donor gave $2 million in 2014 to help the theater survive and revive. The board is currently lead by President Stephen Leiser, Vice President Nicholas Schoeder, Treasurer Nicholas Walton, Secretary Susan Raab, Committee Chair Steven Parady and Clerk Steve Boucher.

UPCOMING SHOWS

GREASE SHADOWCAST

PG-13 for sexual content including references, teen smoking and drinking, and language

Saturday August 24 and Sunday August 25, 7 p.m.

LOBSTER TALES WITH DALLAS HODGKINS

Join us for "Lobster Tales," a captivating weekly event hosted by third-generation fisherman Dallas Hodgkins. Dive into the fascinating world of Maine's lobster industry and discover the secrets behind this iconic New England tradition. Dallas will share his wealth of knowledge on the conservation of fishing in Maine, the intricacies of licensing, and the daily life of a lobster fisherman. Learn about the process of catching lobsters, how traps work, and much more. Whether you're a local or just visiting, this one-hour event promises to be an informative and engaging experience for all. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to hear first-hand stories and insights from a seasoned expert in the field.

Date & Time: Every Wednesday from 6-7 p.m.
Tickets: $15 for adults, $8 for children 5 and over - tickets available at concessions inside.