Auburn State Theatre closes, cancels events following partial ceiling collapse Tuesday

This story was updated at 10:04 a.m. April 20, 2023. The Auburn State Theatre announced Tuesday afternoon its temporary closure following a partial ceiling collapse Tuesday morning. The State Theatre confirmed all events scheduled in the near future have been canceled. Board of Directors President Chris Walsh told the Auburn Journal on Thursday contractors would be at the theatre later in the day, Friday and Monday to assess the damage and assist with a plan moving forward. "We are confident that we will get this moving along in the very near future and we'll get open as soon as we possibly can," Walsh said. Walsh also said they are thankful to the community for all its support and all it does for the theatre. "We've received a lot of outreach by the community and by other organizations that have provided support for the theatre and their faith in the theatre that it is really a jewel in this community and they know it is," he said. "We look forward to working with them as we go forward." The Auburn Journal reached out to the Auburn State Theatre on Tuesday afternoon, and General Manager Colleen Sands and Walsh provided the following statement: "The Auburn State Theatre will mark its 100th anniversary in 2030 and, as most of us know, aging is not always easy! "Friday morning, we noticed dust on some of the Theatre seats. Upon further investigation, we discovered a couple of cracks in the ceiling of the Theatre. "Thanks to our vigilant employees and board members we acted immediately and, in an abundance of caution, made the decision to close the Theatre auditorium. We enlisted the help of a contractor to evaluate the situation and we postponed our weekend shows. "Sometime in the early hours of today, some of the ceiling collapsed. Again, we are most thankful that no one was in the auditorium and no injuries were sustained. "We are saddened to announce that it is imperative that we temporarily close our beautiful venue for immediate restoration. "All activities scheduled to take place in the near future in the Theatre auditorium, music events, film presentations and rentals will be canceled effective immediately. We are also working diligently with our community partners to relocate some events that can take place in other venues. "We had initial meetings with our contractors to determine what restoration action will be taken and the timing for completion. The extent of, and the time required for, the restoration will be determined as soon as possible. We are acting as quickly as possible to reopen our beloved Theatre. However, we will be taking our time and ensuring that all work will be quality and thorough! "Please bear with us as we figure things out, we will keep you apprised as we move forward. We will continue to do what is best for our beloved Theatre, our employees, volunteers, patrons, performers and community. "Now, it is more important than ever that Big Day of Giving, as well as our annual fundraiser, Cocktails & Cinema, go on as scheduled. These two events will help us raise much needed restoration funds. "Big Day of Giving is May 4th and early giving starts online this Thursday, April 20. "Our Cocktails & Cinema Street Party, in front of the Theatre, will celebrate the decade of the 1980s. Please join us on June 3rd for this amazing event. "Thank you in advance for your continued support and understanding. We are always grateful and are truly appreciative to all of you during this difficult time."