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The Hanover
Theater building contains over 12,000 square feet of finished
space and an additional 2,000 square feet of unfinished space,
divided up into three separate occupancies (the theater itself
and two stores). It is built of brick with concrete floors
and steel roof supports. There are 7 levels in the building - the sub-basement, basement, street level, seating area, stage, second
floor and projection booth . The interior is
plaster over masonry, with the exception of the the ceilings,
which are plaster over mesh.
The Stores -
There are two stores, one on each side of the building.
They are about 500 square feet each, and were built with 12 foot
ceilings. Each store has decorative leaded glass above the front
windows.
The First Lobby -
The area under the marquee and around the ticket booth was
known as the First Lobby. The original ticket booth was an
octagon, centered under the marquee (the booth we see today was
moved to the theater in the early 60's).
The Second Lobby -
Going through the front doors of the theater, the next area
is the Second Lobby. This lobby has 20' high ceilings with
a sloped floor that rises about 2 feet. There is a
stairway that leads to a balcony which overlooks the lobby and
provides access to the offices and Owner's Balcony. Under
the balcony there is a fresco of 'Roman' scenes. The walls
of the Second Lobby have a textured finish, which is suggestive
of a Mediterranean or Moroccan theme. This theme is
reflected in the ceiling and the chandeliers. High on the
side walls are stained glass "doorways" that give the appearance
of balconies over a street below.
The Third Lobby-
Passing through another set of doors, the final lobby is the
Third Lobby. This area has 30 foot ceilings and is best
described as an extension of the seating area, as there is
only a low wall separating it from the seating area.
Entrances to the rest rooms, a water fountain, and, in
later years, the "candy bar" are located in the third lobby.
The Seating Area-
The seating area is the full width of the building (55 feet)
and over 100 feet long. The floor slopes down
approximately 6 feet, ending at the stage with a flat area and an
orchestra pit. The ceiling is around 40 feet high at the
bottom of the slope. It has been said that there were over
600 seats when the theater closed (it originally had almost 950
seats). The walls are decorated with plaster columns
and elaborate molding, especially at the ceiling. The most
striking feature of the ceiling is the dome, approximately 35
feet in diameter. The re once was a chandelier in the dome,
but it is now in the Strand Theater in York.
The Stage-
The stage opening is 30 feet wide and around 20 feet tall and
is surrounded by more elaborate plasterwork. On either
side of the stage are the organ chambers, where the pipes for
the organ once were. Overall the stage is 55 feet wide
with 30 feet of depth to the back wall.
The floor is wooden and has footlights built in at the front
(downstage) edge. Ceiling height over the stage is over 50 feet, which allows the lights and hanging
scenery to be hidden out of view.
The Dressing Rooms-
The Dressing Rooms are located below the stage and are laid
out along the back and side walls of the building. There
is a center room which was used as a waiting area for performers
(green room) that has stairs to the backstage and a door to the
orchestra pit.
The Offices-
Above each of the stores are the offices for the theater,
which are also used as the manager's apartment. These
offices are connected to each other by elevated walkways which
pass above the second lobby. The Owner's Balcony is
accessed from one of the elevated walkways.
The Owner's Balcony-
At the back of the third lobby is the Owner's Balcony. This small area with seating for 10 is where the owner watched the show.
While it's elevated position gives it a great view, it is 140
feet from the stage, making opera glasses a must!
The Projection Booth-
High above the Seating Area is the Projection Booth. It
contains the movie projectors and the old lighting controls.
The projectors date back to the late 30's or early 40's. These
projectors were still in use when the theater presented
"Pinocchio" (its last
movie) in December of 1986. The lighting controller is a
massive switchboard with large levers that operated the lighting
dimmers.
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