New Britain herald., 1926-07-03
STAGE AND SCREEN

Remember the Capitol theater when you were in it the last time, a month ago tomorrow night? Re- member the row upon row of seats downstairs, the boxes and the loges, the high proscenium arch above the stage, the artistic decorations on the walls, and, lest we forget forever, the ten troublesome posts that dotted the downstairs and made a number of seats uncomfortable for patrons, but doubtless profitable for masseurs who are skilled in taking the kinks out of a stiff neck?
 Well, you'd never know the old place now. Take cyclone, an earthquake, plenty of dust and vast quantities of old timbers, mix them all together and you have a fairly good idea of what the interior of the Capitol looks like.
 The management announced that the interior was to be remodeled to some extent. It did not state that it was to be wrecked, but that is just what has happened, but the architects and artisans promise that out of this debris will rise a new and modern, attractive movie house late in the summer. So that's that.
 At the present time the interior of the Capitol presents an appear ance of just a huge auditorium filled with scaffolding and hard-worktng lahorers. There is the machine gum like rattle of the ironworkers rivet- ing in the new steel girders. There are carpenters ripping down and re- placing. There are the plasterers replastering where the walls have been torn down. There are electri- clans installing new wires, and wait ing their turn are interior decora- tors, carpet men, chair men, etc. who will take hold and finish things up at the last moment.
 Every seat in the main floor or the theater has been removed. The entire series of boxes has been ripped out, and in the balcony the loges have been removed. On the east wall two fire escapes have been cut through for first floor exits, while a fire tower is being erected 10 permit the exit of those on the east side of the balcony without their having to climb down the fire escape to the ground level, thus blocking the exit of the others.
 The poles supporting the balcony at ten points have been taken out, and this week the ironworkers arc installing huge steel girders, so woven into the framework of the building as to make the balcony even more sturdy.
 In the mezzanine the ceiling is being razed to permit of the attrac- tive Spanish type of barrel ceiling, while in the main entrance lobby the box office is being removed en- tirely, as is the staircase leading to the upstairs offices. This will per init the construction of high bar rel ceiling for the main entrance, the upstairs entrance being changed to go up where the east window of Folz's floral shop is now situated.
 The huge gilded dome above the dullIp4 lulil dLO4iC lCNdlIi0 ltS Pluot'i and decorations, and this is 10 be remodeled. Mems and women's re- tiring rooms are being equipped on the main floor and, since the up- stairs entrance from the main floor has been eliminated, this will give added space for the promenade be- hind the rows of seats.
 At the present time the Capitol | can best be described as complete wreck and an awful mess.
 But two months from now An, | wait and see, says the supervising architect.