One of my favorite places to visit during my Kansas travels was restored vintage theaters. After introducing myself in the front office of The Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts, Salina, I asked if I could take photographs of the 1931 auditorium.
Re-opened for individual performances since 2003, the auditorium was full of meticulously carved wood and painted decor featured intricate, flawlessly replicated designs. Gold leaf detail, with lush chairs and carpeting created a stunning entertainment environment.
But performers at today's Stiefel are quite different from the early 1900s, when the theater was best known as a quintessential 'movie house' called the Fox-Watson Theater. Nowadays, artists such as Peter Frampton, the Salina Symphony, the Celtic Tenors and comedian, Ron White fill the theater with music and laughter.
Sometimes the patrons can be a little surprising too. After taking half a dozen photographs in the auditorium, I returned to the office and looked at my images. A distinct orb of light appeared to the right of one balcony, which I hadn't seen as I took the shot.
I asked if the theater had any ghosts and was told it did. I returned to the auditorium but couldn't find a light source to explain the orb - and neither could a gal from the office. It seems that I wasn't the only visitor to The Stiefel on that sunny summer morning.
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