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The Campus Theatre - A History by Denise Cummings (University of Florida)

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The building's finely appointed interior, from its mirrored lobby and lounge furnishings to the wall and ceiling murals and light fixtures, is marked by luxurious Art Deco quality with its rich materials and novel decorative motifs. The ceiling in the auditorium is painted with a minimalist wave pattern and abstracted floral designs influenced by machine geometry. Ceiling light fixtures conceal air conditioning vents. Framing the stage is a fine example of trompe l'oeil: false vertical tent drapes flank the proscenium arch, edging real four- foot high walnut finished wood bases that extend down each side of the auditorium. Above the wood and "special acoustic plaster," four carefully placed Deco-inspired lighting fixtures span the walls. Years ago, these lights softly glowed in an ever-changing display from their six-color palette.

Two twelve-foot high murals, imaginative male and female flesh-tone figures further rendered in various shades of blue, orange, crimson, and silver, adorn each mid-auditorium sidewall. In the rear, beige, blue, and yellow chevron and circular motifs are set on cork wall tiles. The overall effect is regional American modern. In 1941, the unique beauty of the Theatre combined with the excellence of the film programming promised to make every event at The Campus a work of art.

A Gift to Market Street

An additional front-page headline appeared in The Lewisburg Journal as The Campus neared its opening day. Just above the masthead read: "Congratulations to the Stiefel Brothers for Building The Campus Theatre," foregrounding a family story that parallels the development and creation of the American movie theatre as an unique building type in general, and The Campus in particular.

Oscar, Harold, Barney, and Morris Stiefel emigrated from Russia to the United States in the 1920s. Oscar began operation of one movie theatre in Philadelphia and another in Downingtown, PA, and in time his three brothers and several nephews joined him in building a small showmen's empire. The Stiefel's eventually ran eleven Pennsylvania theatres with locations in Ephrata, Lock Haven, Myersdale, and Lewisburg.

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