WHAT ROANE COUNTY NEEDS IS MORE INVOLVED YOUNG PEOPLE!

I introduced my son Corey Mashburn, Harriman High School's Guidance Counselor, to Megan Anderson, the new Princess Theatre Manager, Friday.  They seemed to hit it off right away and began discussing Corey's memories of the Princess, what the Princess wants to offer area schools, and generally what the Princess will mean to our children that want a career in the arts, media, and communication.

But, all I could think about how much Roane County needs young people like this!  While listening to their youthful ideas from these two "go-getters", I was thinking "how do we get young people involved".  We need their youth, their ideas, their determination, and new vision of the future so much!

Megan and Corey talked about getting together with the other area counselors, and interested teachers, to brainstorm ideas for classes and hands-on involvement.  They think that the high schools could offer "dual enrollment" credit courses in partnership with Roane State, which would be wonderful for everyone involved.  These courses would be in the catalog under THEATRE.

That's it, we need to find ways to get them together and let them think out of the box with their young minds.  I'm afraid we may have become to set in our ways to see past the past and into the future!

The Princess Dream is to make the Princess a unique educational tool that will prepare students who are interested in stage, sound, film, television, radio...all of the "media/theatre arts".  The Princess, and the Channel 15 studio, will be a hands-on tool students can use as they do class study.

Did you know that Harriman doesn't have a drama class or club?  I found that so sad.  The Princess will be able to stir up interest again in the arts in all our schools.  Not only could those interested students act in a play, they could also learn to do the stage preparation, the direction, the producing, the lighting, the sound, and how to record the performances on film for broadcast.  Man, how I could have gone for something like that when I was in high school!

My suggestion to any parent or student reading this post is GO to your school's guidance counselor, or any teacher, and tell them you are interested in pursuing your interest in the arts!  And how much your school offering such classes would mean to you.

Dual credit courses could be available to any student scoring a 19 on the ACT test.  The PLAN test is given during a students sophomore year, as a preliminary to the real ACT given the junior year.  Therefore, a student could be potentially be eligible for the "dual enrollment" courses for the last three years of high school!

The English portion of the test is probably the portion in which a 19 will be required.  It's seems to be the best fit anyway.

Even if a student fails to make a 19 in that area of the tests, they could still pay Roane State for the courses.  But, if the grade is made, then it's all free!

Going to a community 2-year college program next year may even become more possible for more Roane County students.  A new program call tnAchieves will provide up to $3,000 dollars annually for tuition to students who meet the criteria and maintain a 2.0 GPA.  This is on top of any Lottery Scholarship and/or PAL grant monies!

All this simply means, that you may be able to go to Roane State FREE!  So, look into it today!

Oh yes, everyone needs to see how they can get involved at the Princess too!  If you would like to volunteer, contact Wilma Mullins right away!

A LIGHT TRANFORMATION AT THE PRINCESS

Several months ago, James Ryan's "Rocky Top Sign & Neon" company took on the task of refurbishing the Princess lights.  They were in pretty bad shape, having gotten wet many times from the leaky roof, but today they hang proudly from the Princess auditorium ceiling!

The lights began a slow transformation, back to near perfect condition.  First everything had to be removed from the fixtures, then primered, and repainted.  The electrical parts had to be completely replaced, which included some purple neon fixtures, which Ryan's company made.  This neon will give the auditorium ceiling a special glow that will reflect off the painted ceiling.

"Rocky Top's" work continues outside on the marquee frame too.  They expect to be attaching the actual marquee pieces very soon.

With the ceiling complete, "Superior Interiors" continues painting the rest of the Princess, and let me tell you, it's looking great!  And wait until you see the proscenium!  The old fir wood is so soft to the touch, and it really soaked up the paint that was applied.  It looks fantastic and any actor would be proud to stand between them.

I won't be showing you anymore wide-angle shots of the auditorium for now.  I want the completed job to be a total surprise to you as you walk in the Princess, and for some, it will be for the first time.  You'll love it!

However, suffice it to say that the work continues.  The new bathrooms have been tiled to match the original pattern and color of the old restrooms on the mezzanine level.

The elevator shaft work progresses with steel rising to the balcony level.

And, of special interest to me is the work being done to bring back the shine of the terrazzo floor in the lobby and at the entrance to the Princess outside.  Even us old timers have never seen it shining with its original luster!

So, it can't be long until you get the call to come she her!

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE "CRUISIN'" CREW

Last evening, at Harriman Steaks And Diner, Roane Street in Harriman, the city put on a special celebration in thanks to all that help make the annual "Crusin' Harriman" better than the previous year.  This group puts out a special effort and make family sacrifices during the 2nd Saturday of April through August each spring and summer.

The group enjoyed being together to relax, eat, and fellowship without having to plan an upcoming event.  However, their efforts will begin all over again come next March!

"Doc" and Wilma Mullins were presented with a commendation plaque for their combined coordination work over the years since the event began in 2003.  Other members, besides Doc and Wilma, of the original committee in attendance Thursday evening were: Beverly Clough, Bobby and Lois Wilder, Jim Thornton, Sandy and Tom Hooks, and Gary Baker.

People don't realize what it takes to put on an event.  It takes lots of planning, and lots of volunteers working behind the scenes and at the event to make it happen.  There are never enough volunteers to make each person's job/s easier, so many have to pull multiple duties in order for the event to be successful.

There is lots of room for more volunteers, so it you would like to be involved in next year's event, call "Doc" and Wilma Mullins (865-717-2818) right now...before you forget it! 

It's never too early to get ready for April 14, 2012!

"SUPERIOR" PAINTERS ENLISTED TO REPRODUCE PRINCESS PAST

Tim Plemons, Jaycen Roberts, Grey Mead, and Jerry Roberts (yes, they are related), of Superior Interiors were hired to reproduce the Princess' "Art Deco" color scheme.  I stopped their work Wednesday to take this quick photo.  I apologize to them for this photo being slightly blurry, but it is very difficult to get "auto focus" to work in the low light conditions of the Princess.  I'll try and get a better shot soon, and replace this one.  However, I wanted to get them and their work documented for history on the Princess blog as soon as possible.

Tim Plemons, Jaycen Roberts, Grey Mead, and Jerry Roberts

The team has been doing an outstanding job of recreating the original paint scheme.  They are constantly referring to Sparkman's engineering drawings, and looking at an old post card to match the colors and design as closely as possible.

"Art deco" may be strange to most people, especially those not old enough to remember the inside of the Princess Theater prior to the 70's, but what you will see on the ceiling, the walls, and the front of the balcony is what you would have seen if you walked into the Princess on or after the 1939 reopening of the theater after the devastating fire.  The Princess was intended, and will be, an "art deco" temple to the arts!

Our thanks to Tim Plemons and crew for their dedicated, and often hard, work.  It's not easy painting on your back, or balancing on one foot from a scaffolding brace!  Walking into the auditorium now makes people who are old enough to remember, like me, feel so good.  You can almost sense that the Princess is smiling herself!  She's coming back to life!

Outside, the marquee is now ready to support and light up the new marquee, which is expected within the next week or so.  You can see all the right curves on the fade of the support structures, which will match the shapes of the new banner.

No matter where you go within the Princess complex, you will see some type of working going on.  The process of cleaning up has began too.  The scaffolding should come down this Friday, so the last coat and touch-up paint should then finish up the auditorium.  Then, another milestone will begin, and that's the placement of the new seats!

This week the main air conditioning units were successfully tested, which may not seem that important on these cooler fall days, but next summer when you are being entertained inside the Princess, you'll be happy it all works!

Again, let me caution you not to ever take our Princess for granted again.  We didn't fully appreciate her until we no longer had her, so we need to remember that good things sometime slip from our grasp.  We need to work hard in supporting the activities there, and to treat her like she was our own home.

I'm thankful for having had the privilege of watching the Princess come to life on a daily basis.  The only drawback from this is almost bursting inside from the anticipation of seeing your face as you again walk into the Princess.  I can't wait for us to again enjoy being together at the Princess.  So, when you see me with my camera pointed at you...give me a big smile!

THE PAST MEETS THE FUTURE OF THE PRINCESS

What a wonderful historical event I was privileged to witness Wednesday - James "Dub" Harmon, manager of the Princess from 1951 until 1964, met Megan Anderson, the fifth and newest Princess manager, for the first time!

I think they hit it off immediately, and the first meeting ended with a warm "welcome/thank you" hug!  This can only mean there will be more such meetings.  Meetings where Megan will soak up all the Princess and Harriman history she can.

Dub began by telling us what the Princess meant to Harriman and the surrounding area.  People used to fill the fifteen-foot-wide sidewalk (before the four-lane), all the way back to where Chase Drug is now, waiting to get into the Princess.  This is evident is clearly shown in the 1939 grand opening film clip!

One 4th of July years ago, Dub related, they ran 3900 people through the Princess between 10AM and 11:30PM!  At that time there was a city park where the American Legion is today, and people came there to celebrate, and then would come to the Princess.

There was always something going on at one of the theaters in town.  The Princess used to have a special "Academy Award" promotion, where patrons attempted to match up the actors to the awards, and the closest won a living room suite!

Dub began working at the Princess in '41 or '42, time gets away from him a lot today, so he couldn't be exact, and Crescent thought he did such a great job they wanted to make him manager.  However, it wasn't until 1951 that he became old enough to be "bonded", which was a requirement of the manager position.

As Dub remembers it, when the Webbo closed, O. L. Pritchett came to the Princess to replace outgoing manager L. W. Bevel.  That was about the same time Mr. Harmon began working there, at about the age of 15 or 16.

About the only thing that did not burn when the Princess was destroyed in 1938, was the marquee.  He remembers they cut the "SS" off the end of the Princess, and moved it down to where the Roxy was located, which was where Hall's 5 & 10 used to be located.  It was not in a separate building, as some have speculated on Facebook.  So, the Roxy/Prince building still stands in Harriman today.

The Roxy/Prince had only about 200 seats, and if you are old enough, you remember how narrow Hall's was!

One Halloween, the Roxy sold so many tickets to the scary movie, that they had to run a second movie up the street at the Webbo.

I asked Dub if he remembers a theater standing where the Princess is today and he said no.  I asked what about the "Gay"?  He thought a long time and then said that the Gay Theater was located on Clinton Street, somewhere on the block that H. G. Furniture is on, but on the opposite side of the block facing Clinton.  I followed up by asking if the Gay was ever located where the Princess was built.  He says the Gay may have moved to Roane Street, but isn't sure about where, or if that happened at all. Way before his time!

I plan on asking Lewis Spivey about this history next week.  Megan also wants to meet this great Harriman historian, so I'll tag along!

So, when Cecil Johnson, the last Princess manager, got back from Korea in the early 50's, his brother-in-law, Dub Harmon, gave him a job as projectionist at the Princess.  Cecil had experience at this job from his younger days at the Roxy.  However, it wasn't long before Dub brought Cecil downstairs and began teaching him the managerial job.

Sometime in '64, Mr. Harmon and Junior Ballard began managing H. G. Furniture Company, which they later bought.  Dub still works there today!

Cecil became the fourth Princess manager.  Dub kept working in the theater business, except it was at night, after his day job, at the Midtown Drive-In.  By then Martin Theaters had bought Crescent, and all sixty some theaters.  So, Dub and Cecil had new bosses!

Cecil remained the manager until 1999, when he finally closed the theater, after having leased the business from Martin Theaters for a couple of years.

Folks, again I see in Megan Anderson someone that can and will carry the flame forward.  She hung on Dub's every word, as he answered her tough questions.  You can see the pride building in her for our Princess and Harriman.  She has already made many contacts for support, for historical answers, and for thoughts on what the Princess should bring back to Harriman.

We gave her a t-shirt, after she admired the one I was wearing the first time we met.  It was kind of a "we believe in you" gift, and she beamed when it was given to her.

Please get behind her and support her in her highs and lows folks, and let's keep the interest in this project and revitalization going.  She will really mean it when she wears her "turning the lights on" t-shirt around campus and town.  She wants to succeed in her new job and she wants the Princess to succeed!

OLD MEMORIES REKINDLED BY PRINCESS VISIT

Long time supporter, Jim Henry, who has worked tirelessly in the background for the Princess cause, his son John, and brother-in-law David Arp, a 1964 graduate of Harriman High, visited the Princess restoration site Saturday afternoon.

John and Jim Henry, Kathy and David Arp, and Gary Baker back stage.

Taking an hour out prior to attending the Class of '64's 65th Birthday Party, the group walked through the sheet rock dust to see how things are progressing.  The most impressive part of the tour was seeing the "art deco" ceiling taking shape above the auditorium floor.

Tim Plemons took a few moments out to tell Jim, and his party, how well things were coming out, and how honored he was to be part of history.  The original painter was not fortunate enough to have a "blogger/historian" like me follow his progress as closely as Tim does!

Working from the engineering drawings, shown in the previous post, Tim is progressing on schedule and hopes to be painting the ticket booth entrances soon.  When this happens, along with the long awaited hanging of the new marquee, we will know our Princess is just about ready to receive a new generation of happy patrons!  I'm hearing mid-November, but restoration projects often hit pot holes along the way.  Let's cross our fingers that this does not happen to us.

Jim Henry is confident that the Princess will make a huge impact on Harriman, Roane and surrounding counties, as well as, the entire East Tennessee region.  The Princess will never be a "first run" commercial theater like before, but she will be a grand "theatre" showing classic movies, music shows and festivals, movie and art festivals, stage plays, and just a grand place to have meetings, dances, marriages, business shows, and other informative and educational events.

Most of all, children will once again have age appropriate things to do on Saturdays.  They too will begin to build memories of the Princess.  They will have a TV and radio station, and stage with/on which to learn the arts, communications, and media skills.  This complex of "hands-on-tools" will enhance their education experience at Roane State and area high schools.

David Arp, his wife and mom, along with Julian Ahler at the Princess.

David Arp, a long time friend and classmate of mine, was also impressed with the transition the Princess has made during the restoration.  He remembered his days of coming to the Princess, and "sneaking into the balcony", like most of us did!  Those are memories that only small-town America can offer!

I'm getting so excited!  I get more excited each time I visit the site, and especially when I'm there with someone my age, or older, and hear their memories, and see the excitement in their eyes as they see the fresh paint for the first time!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A COUPLE OF YEARS MAKE

Well, truthfully it hasn't been quite 2 years, but in November 2009 I took photos of the inside of the Princess before any restoration work began.  I wanted to document the project from beginning to end.

The old leaky roof was still in place and water poured in every time there was inclement weather.  Knowing this, made my heart ache whenever there was snow or rain for 9 months.  Everything below was wet, moldy, and rusting in place!  The new roof was constructed in August of 2010.

I shot this light fixture that day, and since there is no shiny new metal above it, I know the new roof was not yet in place.  Real restoration work didn't really begin until around July 2010 when the old seats were removed and hauled away.  They were in very sad shape; mold, rust, rot, and more rust was devouring them!

The new fixtures are going up, but they are not yet complete, because, if you look at the blog header (above) you can distinctly see that there is glass between the second and bottom tier, and also attached to the bottom of the last tier.

Against the new paint, being added by Tim Plemons, we can get a little glimpse of the finished product.  The restored 1939 fixtures hanging from a beautifully restored "art deco" painted ceiling will greet us at the grand opening.  It will bring to mind the days when the Princess still showed its true colors; from the ceiling to the floor.

Tim Plemons is following Frank Sparkman's architectural drawings in order to recreate the paint scheme as closely as possible.  All the colors, shapes, and measurements are recorded for him to follow.  Does that make it easy?  Think about it...he has to take a little rendition the draftsman created on paper, and make it span exactly on the huge Princess ceiling!  He does it all either crouching or laying on his back while doing it!

Tim taking a rare break.  It's rare to actually sit or stand doing this work.

Around the old fixture photo above, you can see a little of the original paint.  This was just one of the clues Sparkman had when he had to recreate the paint scheme and colors for the restoration.  Without this, and a couple of other clues, the work could have never matched the original intent of the original architect, Joe Holman, and Crescent management.

As my project work t-shirt says, "We're turning the lights on!"

THE PRINCESS IN 1978!

My friend Jim Young just forwarded me a photo that his friend, James Finch of Oak Ridge, took back in 1978 of the Princess.  It was taken a night, so the lighting isn't the best, but you can see the Acme (where Channel 15 is today) and Margrave Drug (where the extended lobby stretches today) stores on either side, and a couple walking in front.  It is possible they are waiting to by a ticket, but there just isn't enough detail, and the perspective is not that advantageous.

However, it still brings back memories of a time gone by when people walked Roane Street at night, and when seeing someone standing buying a ticket was not uncommon.

There is a time coming when seeing people standing in the same position will again be taken for granted.  However, I hope we never again take the Princess for granted.  I hope we remember the recent past and know that good things can be taken away from us.  Maybe that way we will work harder at preserving and protecting the things that give our lives meaning.

Thanks Jim and James for sharing this photo with us Princess lovers!

OUR PRINCESS IN AUDITIONS FOR A LEAD ROLE

Torry Martin, Sandy Brownlee, and Denny Brownlee visited the Princess last week.  The three, along with Marshal Younger, who will take a tour later, are looking for a “Princess” to star in their next movie called “The Christmas Star”, which centers around a small-town theater, coincidently named “The Princess”.  The group heard about our Princess through Muse Watson, who never misses a chance to spread the Princess gospel wherever he goes.

Gary Baker, Torry Martin, Sandy and Denny Brownlee visit the Princess

Torry Martin is an award-winning screenwriter, humor columnist, actor, comedian, speaker, author, storyteller and teacher.  He has written several episodes of the audio series “Adventures in Odyssey” where he created the popular character of Wooton Bassett. Martin is also a two-time Christian Artists Gospel Music Association Grand Prize Winner for his acting and writing abilities. To learn more about him, visit his website at www.torrymartin.com.  And just for fun, to see Torry in a recent Wonderful Pistachio commercial CLICK HERE!

Our guests seem pleased with recent progress.

Sandy Brownlee is a writer, actress, and a transmedia  advisor.  Sandy has written for radio, stage, television and film.  She helped develop and was the primary writer for the original children's character “Discovery Jones” on the Inspirational Network, as well as for INSPs “Cheyenne Country.”  She's created seven full length radio dramas; eight full-length stage productions; and eight original sketch comedy dinner theaters.

Denny Brownlee is an actor, writer, voice-over talent, and songwriter.  He was the original children's character, Discovery Jones, on the Inspirational Network, and spent 12 years as the Morning Show co-host for the Family Life Network, writing more than 1000 comedy bits.  But Denny is best known for his classic parody, “Blue Christmas,” sung like Porky Pig.  He's written for INSP, Jefferson Productions, Bruce Wilkinson, and numerous national and regional conferences.

Matt Waters explains the importance of Channel 15 to the Princess Complex

Sandy Brownlee will be co-writing this current screenplay with Torry, along with his regular co-writer Marshal Younger.

Marshal Younger has written over 100 episodes of the popular audio drama “Adventures in Odyssey”, a show he also directed and produced. He is the writer of several screenplays, including “A Greater Yes”, from PureFlix Entertainment. He is also the author of many stage plays and sketches, as well as the children's book series, Kidsboro. He currently lives in Spring Hill, Tennessee, with his wife and four children.

Here is just a juicy taste of the “The Christmas Star” story treatment:

“Harriman, Tennessee had everything a small Southern town should have:  a good diner...  friendly neighbors... and big news the whole town could gossip about.  At the center of the buzz was The Princess Theater... a gilded Lady whose velvet curtains hid a silver screen - and a world of dreams.  For decades, The Princess was the heart of Harriman's social life, but somewhere along the way the world passed The Princess by. Finally, her bright lights dimmed, and she closed her doors for good. That is, until the day Grady Garrett came back home."

Sounds tantalizing, doesn't it!

So, Princess lovers, if our Princess wins the leading role, out of the hundreds of Princess Theaters auditioning across the country, it will be something really great for her and us!  Who knows, even our Muse may be asked to star in the lead role!

Megan Anderson explains the role of the Princess in Harriman's future

Muse and Torry have actually discussed that possibility, but it will depend on Muse's schedule.  He is currently rehearsing for the stage production of “A Christmas Snow” in Branson, MO, which will run through the months of October and November this year.  I've already bought my tickets, and you might like to kick off your Holiday Season by taking your family to see the heartwarming seasonal play.

I hope you don't mind, but I extended your help to Torry Martin and company.  I told him that Harriman would be behind such an undertaking in our area.  I offered your help in opening up homes and businesses if needed as backgrounds/sets for his movie.  I told him people here have vintage autos, loads of media experience, and, more than anything else, warm hearts and a “can do” attitude.

We love our Princess and we offer her to the success of this project!  Call on us anytime!

THE PRINCESS IS PUTTING ON HER MAKEUP!

Wow folks!  I must admit that I had three great experiences today at the Princess: first, Tim Plemons is applying the original "art deco" paint scheme to the auditorium ceiling, second, I met Megan Anderson for the first time, and third I met Torry Martin! The first two thrills I will post here today, but I'm saving Torry Martin's visit until next time.  Suffice it to say, he may have some great plans for our Princess in the coming months!

But first, I was so surprised and elated today when I caught Tim Plemons (Superior Interior) laying on his back, like Michelangelo Buonarroti painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painting the Princess ceiling! Can you imagine the crick he has in his neck every evening after work?!

Colors as seen through iPhone.

Tim is following the "art deco" paint scheme as was shown in old color photos and descriptions of the original design. Plus, there is no mistaking what was found on the ceiling and walls during the restoration.  

Strict adherence to originally is required when registering historic buildings in the National Register of Historic Places, which will be the next logical step for the Princess Theatre.

Colors as seen through DSLR.

Some younger folks may not care much for the "art deco" scheme, but for me it couldn't be any more perfect.  First, it's the way it was meant to be, and second, it's what I remember as a kid growing up there on Saturdays!  

Outside those two reasons, I also want her listed in the "National Registry" so she can take her rightful place along side other great restorations from that era.

Art deco ‎ (ɑrt ˈdɛkoʊ), or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era.

I was also thrilled to meet Megan Anderson, the manager of the new Princess.  She is everything I had hoped for; young, energetic, excited and proud to be part of the Princess history, and wants to become an integral part of the community.  She talks excitedly about what the Princess can become and how much it will mean to us all.  She sees young people again coming to build their own memories and since of pride in the Princess, and therefore, in their local communities.

Megan plans on maintaining a full-time presence, in her office, at the Princess, answering questions, giving tours, and making calls to potential performance artists to keep something going at the Princess all the time.  She also thinks the stage at the Princess will pull in larger audiences for Roane State performances.  All these things will bring more people downtown, more students, more people seeking good wholesome entertainment, and ultimately more businesses catering to crowds that come to the theatre.

Hey, she's talking about our dream!  It only took her a few days to see the same vision and purpose others saw over 10 years ago.

So, if you see her standing out on the street, looking up at the Princess and dreaming futuristic dreams, stop and talk to her awhile.  Offer her your ideas, your help and support.  You'll love her too...she's already one of us!  

Want you join us!?