The Lyric Theater Serves Blacksburg as an Artistic Hub

BLACKSBURG, VA.- Behind the facade of Spanish art-deco and under the comedy and tragedy masks perched above, the Lyric Theatre exemplifies the communal values of Blacksburg.

Since its very inception, the art of storytelling was a communal process. After centuries

of the storytelling art form evolving into hundreds of variations, it is still prevalent in the

community. The best example of this is experiencing a film in a packed movie theater.

“It was a completely different time,” said Clauson Jeffries, a citizen of Blacksburg

sixty-seven years ago. “Growing up without television news, I never experienced or saw what

was outside of Blacksburg. The Lyric exposed me and my peers to the cultures of someplace

other than here. I was around six or seven when I saw my first film there. It was really

eye-opening.”

The Lyric Theatre was first established in 1909. However, the location changed many

times before settling in its spot on College Avenue on April 17, 1930. The theater was one of the first in the state of Virginia to show sound pictures. The state-of-the-art orchestra pit, air

conditioning and maximum capacity of 900 theater-goers proved the Lyric was meant to stay.

While the Lyric remained, the town of Blacksburg continued to grow alongside the

attraction. Throughout the 1940s and 1950s, America underwent a multitude of social and

technological advances, The Lyric was no different. Around this decade, the theater saw its first upgrade: a new projection system called the CinemaScope.

The late 1960s brought competition to the Lyric’s doorstep. Two other theaters had

opened in the area pulling audiences away. The owner, Vane Kelsey, had to figure out an

alternative way to elevate his theater. In the 1970's, his saving grace arrived when a theater employee had the idea to show midnight screenings of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” which became popular among college students. The rowdiness of the audience, which included throwing rice, water, and once, a chicken at the screen, prompted further event style screenings that brought more business.

However, the opening of a nearby Multiplex and the advent of home video again brought

trouble for the Lyric. In 1989, the Lyric was forced to close its doors as a theater and instead be rented out to Virginia Tech as a classroom. The Blacksburg community was not ready to lose the theater. In response, a group of determined citizens formed “The Lyric Council”, a group attempting to renovate the theater and reopen its doors, in 1994. By 1999, they accomplished their goal and finally saw the Lyric return to its former glory. The Lyric came back with a 30-year rent-free lease and a nonprofit status allowing the theater to adapt to the evolving industry.

“The story of the Lyric reflects a growing town. The Lyric has strong roots in this

community and we try to authentically reflect that community,” said Susan Mattingly, executive director of the Lyric theatre. “A former Mayor referred to the Lyric as the town square for Blacksburg. After the tragedy on April 16, 2007, the university had some memorial events, but they didn’t want to talk about it. It was a tragedy that they honored, but they didn’t talk about it. So where did those conversations take place? They took place here.”

As one of the longest-running businesses in Blacksburg, the Lyric proves to be an

enduring member of the community. A place to facilitate meaningful discussions, a cultural hub and a center for art in the community. The Lyric is able to be the heart of Blacksburg due to its nonprofit status.

“If we weren’t tax-exempt, if we weren’t eligible for grant funding, I think it would be

hard to make the equation work,” Mattingly said. “That’s why I think all these small towns lost their independent theaters because the math doesn’t work.”

In the early years of film, audiences could only see movies in theaters. For the longest

time that was the only way to consume them, until home video was created. Many believed home video would eventually kill theaters. Yet most theaters, specifically chain theaters, were able to adapt and rebound. Currently, both chains and small theaters are seeing a large decrease in attendance. According to the New York Times, in 2019 theaters were down 28%. Of the 41,000 theaters in America, around 50% are controlled by Regal, AMC or Cinemark. Even though big-budget blockbusters are raking in billions worldwide, lower-budget independent films are not getting as lucky.

“Right now, we are in the middle of a downturn, which can be attributed to streaming,”

Mattingly said. “We have more art films going directly to streaming or they’ll give it a two-week theatrical run. This year, there are three major Oscar contenders that only got a 2-week theatrical run -- “The Irishman”, “Marriage Story”, and “The Report”. The problem is that films such as those, the Oscar contenders and the artsy pictures, are the bread and butter for small theaters like The Lyric. We don’t show the Marvel movies or other big ‘spectacles’ that stay out there forever. It’s hard for us to show the kinds of movies we used to show when the whole exhibition changed.”

Amid the streaming war, the true losers are the small theaters. With the popular

blockbusters being the centerpiece for chain theaters, audiences are not showing up for those “artsy pictures” as much anymore, and would rather wait to watch on streaming services.

“We pride ourselves on showing high-quality films,” Mattingly said. “Surviving would

mean finding another way to get butts in seats that don’t involve playing Star Wars for five

weeks straight. We try to add a more immersive experience by hosting talks and other events centered around the theme of the show. Our goal has always been bringing in unique voices and stories that the community can relate to.”

In many ways, theaters provide for the ideal film viewing experience. Unlike most

homes, theaters come with a screen spanning wall to wall, state of the art sound system, and an environment typically void of distractions. However, a major deterrence for the public has been rising ticket and concession sales. It’s no secret one of the major reasons films are breaking box office records almost every month now is due to higher ticket prices.

According to the Wall Street Journal, around 14% of the ticket sales are taken by the film distributor and the rest is largely eaten up by salary and utilities. Concessions are turning into the sole profit maker for many theaters, but with audiences beginning to dwindle it may cause trouble for independent theaters.

“People don’t want to spend money, especially upwards of $30 — with popcorn, drinks,

and other snacks included — to watch a film that may let them down in the end,” said Stephen Prince, professor of Cinema at Virginia Tech. “Audiences today would much rather wait to stream the more cinematic films, in favor of watching the big pop culture events in theaters.”

After 110 years, The Lyric Theatre continues to serve Blacksburg by sharing art and

hosting culturally significant discussions. Despite the struggles facing independent theaters in this world of streaming entertainment, the Lyric is still showing films and will continue to do so with the community’s support.