With empty seats and an uncertain future, Chico's El Rey Theater hopes for a light at the end of the tunnel.
A new nonprofit Save the El Rey, is making it its mission to preserve and renew the historic landmark and is currently raising funds for its efforts.
“We kind of came together as a group and have made a concerted effort to form the Save the El Rey project,” said Dustin Vaught, board member of Save the El Rey.
The history of the El Rey
Initially built in 1906, the location served as a vaudeville, cinema and performance theater. The theater showed its first set of motion pictures 14 days after its opening on April 23, 1906, making it the longest continuously operating movie theater in California and the third in the country.
"It's important for a city to be able to maintain a historical landmark like this, to maintain a sense of their identity," Vaught said. "To not become another homogeneous suburban area, and so that Chico can stay Chico in a lot of ways."
Following a fire in 1946, the theater underwent extensive reconstruction and was subsequently reopened to the public in 1948 under the name "El Rey."
The theater went up for sale in April of this year. This is the second time within a decade that the historic theater has been on the market.
Turning the historic theater into a community space
Save the El Rey is working to purchase the theater and restore its architecture to remain an active and vibrant venue for local arts, culture and events.
The organization estimates it will cost around $1 million to purchase the space and to turn the theater into a community space.
“Really putting the money back into the building for key infrastructure repairs, including the roof, HVAC, and really starting to make a concerted effort to save the fairies in the actual theater,” Vaught said.
The fairies currently decorate the walls of the theater and were painted by James Seaton in the late 1940s.
The funding will also support hiring a full-time position, two part-time staff members and event personnel, ensuring the successful revitalization of the venue.
Fundraising efforts to save the theater
Chico's North Valley Community Foundation (NVCF) is joining Save the El Rey to help the project raise funds.
"They're essentially functioning as our nonprofit, so we're able to do these kinds of campaigning and fundraising," Vought said. "They've been very generous, and so they're essentially acting as our bank."
The project has been hosting fundraising events to help get the word out to the community about their goal to preserve the theater for all of Chico’s residents.
"You had individuals talking about seeing films there in the 50s and 60s," Vaught said.
A "Save the Fairies Bike Ride" fundraiser will occur at One Mile Park this Saturday.
"We're going to ride our bikes, listen to some music, have fun, dress up as fairies, be all whimsical like we're in a fantasy novel,” Vaught said.
Tickets are a suggested $20 donation and the proceeds will all go to Save the El Rey.
