The State Theatre in Falls Church City, VA, is a prominent concert venue with a rich history and

retro ambiance. The building, originally serving as a movie theater, was built in 1936. The theater
debuted with the film, Thanks a Million starring Dick Powell. The first theater on the East Coast to
be centrally air-conditioned, the State Theatre was a staple venue for movie-goers until November
27, 1988 when the theater closed its doors after a final showing of Die Hard starring Bruce
Willis.Among the Glebe, the Buckingham, and the Jefferson, the State was the paramount venue
of the family-owned Neighborhood Theatres chain. In 1999, after a multi-million dollar restoration,
the State reopened its doors as a concert venue for live music and private events. Maintaining
some of its original character while also implementing 2 full service bars, and a full service
restaurant area, the State quickly became a hotspot music venue.

The State Theatres current Marketing and Promotions Director, Brennan Giuffre, was interviewed
with questions pertaining to the theaters history, success, and overall atmosphere:

1. What do you look for when seeking out performers?

There are a lot of things to consider in the talent buying process. First, we try and keep our
calendar as eclectic as possible. We dont like to be defined as a Rock Venue or a Tribute
Band Venue. If you look at all of the bands that played the State Theatre last year, I think you will
be surprised how eclectic we are! Some months are heavy on tributes and then the next will be
heavy on Blues, it all depends on which bands are coming through town, and when.

Second, since we are a business (and there are more overhead expenses than you can ever
imagine), we have to seek out bands that will draw a large crowd. Depending on the show, our
capacity varies from 500-1000 and our goal is to book acts that can fill the venue! It helps a lot
when bands have a relationship with fans (usually via social media) and can let them know about
the show. Bands that treat their fans as friends and not a paycheck are usually the most
successful.

Third, since there is so much competition in the area, it is important to pay attention to when the
last time a certain band played the area, what venue, etc. Overplaying certain bands can cause a
decline in attendance and in the long run is bad for both the bands and the venues. It is
important not to over saturate the market. In general, we aim for one play a year for most bands.
One exception to this rule is our 80s Dance Party with The Legwarmers. They play twice a
month almost every month and usually sell out.

3. Who is your target audience?

Our target audience varies greatly from show to show. For the most part we cater to an older
crowd since most of our shows are 18+. Id say the majority of our audience is between 30 and 60
years old, but we get everything in between.

4. What has your success looked like since you reopened in 1999?

One of the highest points in State Theatre history is the fact that the building still exists. Many
people do not know this, but before the Theatre was transformed into a live music venue, it was a
condemned building. When Tom Carter (the owner) bought the building, it was being used as a
storage facility for the neighboring plant nursery. The building was in extremely rough shape and
by no means ready to be open to the public.

With the help of a couple friends and some hard work, Tom managed to transform the building
into what it is today. Toms goal in the transformation was not to start from scratch, but instead
create a new space that has an old and historic feel. If you look around the venue, there are still
some original pieces including the proscenium and trim along the ceiling. He also made a point
to leave the cinema style seating on our balcony to give people that old, movie theatre feeling.

Tom takes a lot of pride in his hard work (as he should) and we are now one of the more
successful music venues in the area. We take a lot of pride in doing things ourselves. We do all
of our booking in house (which a lot of venues in the area outsource) and we throw one heck of a
corporate event!

5. Describe the atmosphere of your venue:

The atmosphere varies from show to show. Having a friendly and helpful staff is one thing that we
always try and keep consistent. Customer service is very important to us, and we always have a
manager available for any compliments or concerns from our customers.

One cool thing about the State Theatre in Falls Church is the different layout options we have.
Most of our shows are half seated, half standing. At these shows, guests can eat dinner at one of
our tables, dance on the dance floor, or find seating on our balcony.

We also do all standing dance parties, where we take out all the tables (usually for Legwarmers
shows). This is more of your traditional concert experience, where everyone is up and dancing.

We do all seated shows usually for comedy and acoustic shows. This allows the audience to
focus on the musician/comedian with little to no distractions.

Whatever the layout, you are bound to have a great time at the State Theatre!

he State Theatre in Falls Church, as Giuffre indicated, offers a vastly diverse selection of
performers, adhering to the preferences of concert-goers of all ages and varieties. The theater
has been and continues to be a prominent location in Falls Church City.

STATE THEATRE

FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA

Constructed in 1935, the State Theatre is an excellent example of

the Art Deco style of architecture popular in the 1920s and 30s for
public/social buildings. Operating as a movie theatre, the venue
was a staple to the Falls Church, Virginia community until it closed
its doors in 1988. As the only cinema in the city, the theatre was
signifi cant for both its social history in the community and its
listing as a local landmark.

OPPORTUNITY
Ten years after the cinema shut down, Martinez+Johnson was
commissioned by Timeless Entertainment to renovate and convert
its primary use from a fi lm house to a fully-functioning venue for
live entertainment.

CREATION
The projects scope of work included over-building the raked fl oor
as terraces for table seating while the balcony retained theatre
seating with restored seats. New mechanical, electrical, and
fi re/life safety systems were stablished. Updated stage lighting,
audio and visual projection systems, and soundboard control areas
were added to enable a wide variety of live performances.

The front of the theatre was rebuilt to accommodate an entrance

restored to the original 1930s center from a 1950s renovation
which moved the access to the side. A new theatre marquee and
new ticket booth, replicas of the originals, were installed. A
signifi cant addition was constructed to the side of the building
housing a kitchen, increased restroom facilities, and theatre
offi ces. At the read, a second addition was erected over the
stagehouse for musicans rooms and a direct stage connection.

OWNER: TIMELESS ENTERTAINMENT C/O STEVE THOMPSON

COMPLETION: 1999