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INVESTIGATION REPORT

REGENT THEATRE     ALLEGAN, MI

WEATHER= 72F     MOON PHASE= WAXING GIBBOUS     # OF INVESTIGATORS= 7

THIS BUILDING WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT IN THE 1800'S AS A LIVERY STABLE. IN 1902 IT BECAME A CAR GARAGE, THEN IN 1919 IT FINALLY BECAME A THEATRE. VAUDEVILLE ACTS WERE PERFORMED ON THE STAGE AND SILENT MOVIES WERE SHOWN.  IN THE 1930'2, THE THEATRE WAS RENOVATED IN ART-DECO STYLE AND RE-OPENED AS A FILM THEATER ONLY. THE THEATRE WAS ABANDONED IN THE 1980'S AND WAS DESIGNATED TO BE RAZED. EFFORTS WERE MADE AND FUNDS COMPILED, AND BY 1996 THE OLD REGENT THEATRE COMPANY HAD A GRAND RE-OPENING AND STARTED SHOWING FILMS ON  THE HUGE 20X30 FOOT SCREEN. IN 1997, A BAD STORM COLLAPSED THE ROOF AND WRECKED THE THEATRE. THE CITY OF ALLEGAN SAVED THE BUILDING AND YET ANOTHER RESTORATION BEGAN. IT WAS MADE TO LOOK ART-DECO ONCE AGAIN AND REMAINS SO TODAY. MANY EVENTS ARE HELD IN THE BUILDING AND FILMS ARE SHOWN ALMOST DAILY. THE PLACE IS TRULY A GEM. AS WITH MANY OLD THEATRES, SOME ACTORS, STAGE-HANDS, AND PATRONS WHO HAD AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH THE PLACE SEEM TO REMAIN WITHIN ITS WALLS. WE BELIEVE WE CAPTURED EVIDENCE OF THEIR CONTINUED PRESENCE. WE HEARD MANY SOUNDS, ESPECIALLY NEAR THE STAGE AREA, WHICH SOUNDED EXACTLY LIKE PEOPLE WERE BACKSTAGE PREPARING FOR A SHOW. WE HEARD THINGS BEING MOVED AND SLID ACROSS THE FLOOR, AS WELL AS MANY FOOTSTEPS. THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE IN THE BUILDING EXCEPT OUR TEAM AT THE TIME, AND WE WERE ALL TOGETHER SEATED IN THE FRONT ROW.  PLEASE ENJOY OUR FINDINGS BELOW, AND PAY A VISIT TO THIS SPECIAL HISTORIC PLACE WHENEVER YOU GET A CHANCE.

THE THEATRE MARQUIS	THE FRONT OF THE THEATRE. TAKEN BY PATTI	THE CONCESSION STAND	READY-TO-GO FILM REELS
VIDEO: CURTIS CAPTURED A MALE VOICE SAYING "GO AWAY" WHILE IN A BACKSTAGE ROOM. WATCH HERE	EVP: CINDY CAPTURED A MALE VOICE WHISPERING "UH-UH" IN RESPONSE TO ASKING EVERYONE TO BE REALLY QUIET. LISTEN HERE	EVP: STANDING AT THE FRONT EDGE OF THE STAGE, CINDY CAUGHT THE VOICE OF A CHILD SAYING "WHO ARE YOU?" IN RESPONSE TO ASKING WHO'S OVER HERE? LISTEN HERE	EVP: STANDING AT THE FRONT EDGE OF THE STAGE, CINDY CAPTURED A MALE VOICE SAYING "UNDER" IN RESPONSE TO ASKING ARE YOU GETTING READY? LISTEN HERE
LOOKING UP TOWARDS THE CATWALK ABOVE THE STAGE. WE HEARD PEOPLE WALKING ON THIS CATWALK, EVEN THOUGH NO ONE WAS UP THERE.	THE OLD BOILER IN THE BASEMENT	2 VIEWS OF STAGE RIGHT, SHOWING A POSSIBLE FIGURE STANDING IN THE DOORWAY, AND ANOTHER SHOT TAKEN WITH LIGHTS ON. TAKEN BY CINDY	TAKEN FROM THE FRONT OF THE STAGE, WHERE WE STOOD LISTENING & RECORDING MANY SOUNDS & VOICES.
EVP: SUE CAPTURED VOICES AND FOOTSTEPS COMING FROM BACKSTAGE AND THE CATWALK ABOVE. LISTEN HERE	EVP: SUE CAUGHT THE SOUND OF A SMALL PIECE OF COAL BEING THROWN AT ANOTHER INVESTIGATOR IN THE BASEMENT. LISTEN HERE	EVP: SUE CAPTURED A VOICE SPEAKING OVER ANOTHER INVESTIGATOR IN THE PROJECTION ROOM. LISTEN HERE	EVP: SUE CAUGHT A LOT OF NOISES COMING FROM BACKSTAGE. TO HEAR EXAMPLES, LISTEN HERE
LOOKING STRAIGHT UP TOWARDS THE CATWALK	JEFF HOLDING THE PIECE OF COAL THAT FLEW AT HIM IN THE CELLAR. PHOTO BY PATTI	THE PROJECTION ROOM TAKEN FROM THE SEATING AREA	WHERE WE SAT & LISTENED TO SOUNDS FROM BACKSTAGE. TAKEN BY PATTI
	EVP: CINDY CAPTURED THE VOICE OF A CHILD SAYING THE NAME "MIKE" LISTEN HERE	EVP: SUE CAPTURED SOME OF THE FAINT TALKING WE COULD HEAR COMING FROM BACKSTAGE. LISTEN HERE
ART DECO CLOCK	THE OLD COAL BIN. BITS OF COAL CAN STILL BE FOUND HERE	PATTI TOOK THIS PHOTO OF A FUNNY POSTER IN THE PROJECTION ROOM.	SOME OF THE SEATS

WE ARE GRATEFUL TO THE FOLKS AT THE HISTORIC REGENT THEATRE FOR THEIR HOSPITALITY IN ALLOWING US TO INVESTIGATE THIS AMAZING LOCATION.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE REGENT THEATRE, VISIT THEIR WEBSITE HERE