by Caroline Gabsewics
Staff Writer
Those who frequent the Florida Theatre or those who may be experiencing it for the first time can now take a piece of the theater home — sort of.
To celebrate the Florida Theatre’s 80th anniversary, a series of commemorative, limited-edition posters will be sold throughout the year. The Florida Theatre opened April 8, 1927. The first poster was revealed in April and the second poster is now available for purchase. New posters will be out about every two months until April 2008.
“The idea to put these posters together stemmed from the theaters 80th anniversary,” said Sarah Davis with Ruckus Advertising.
Ruckus Advertising came up with the idea to highlight the anniversary. Each vintage-style poster will celebrate one aspect of the theater over its first eight decades. The first poster celebrates the ushers who volunteered their time to work at the Florida Theatre in the late 1920s and early ‘30s. The second celebrates the theaters architecture and its intricate detail, said Davis, adding she’s not sure how many posters will be released between now and April, but they should be out about every two months.
Each poster will be reprinted 250 times. They are 10-by-24 inches and can be purchased framed for $50 or unframed for $30. All proceeds go toward the Florida Theatre’s current use, capital, and endowment funds.
The most recent poster shows the detail inside the Theatre that patrons may not see during a concert or event. Ruckus Advertising was also able to acquire some of the original blueprints of the theater and use them in the current poster, said Katharine Berry, executive assistant to Erik Hart, president of the Florida Theatre.
“They (Ruckus Advertising) came in and took some gorgeous photos of the architecture, too,” she said.
The second poster went on sale last week and, according to Berry, there is demand for both right now.
“We e-mail our patrons when the posters are ready and we have gotten a large amount of people who are wanting them,” she said. “There are still a few of the first ones left, but not a lot.”
Berry added that many of the patrons are happy the Florida Theatre has decided to have limited-edition posters that will feature every aspect of the Theatre.
“They think it is really nice. People who have been coming to the theater for many years — and those who have donated money — are really appreciating the posters,” said Berry. “It is like having something from the theater in their house and it brings back memories.”
Berry said the Florida Theatre has worked with Ruckus Advertising on other projects and they wanted to find a way to capitalize on the 80th anniversary, create a keepsake and generate some publicity for the theater.
“It is for a good cause,” she said. “We want to try and keep the Florida Theatre alive.”
Posters can be purchased by calling the Florida Theatre’s administrative office at 355-5661. The posters, framed or unframed, can be shipped to the customer or picked up at the Florida Theatre. Berry said if the poster is shipped, a small fee will be added.