State Theatre - History

This vintage movie house, built in 1935 stands next door to the Paramount Theatre and within sight of the State Capitol building. It was built on the site of the old Avenue Hotel which stood until after the turn of the century. The State Theatre originally served as a downtown movie house, which were popular during the era, along with many others like The Paramount, The Queen, which stood on the west side of Congress Avenue, and The Ritz, now a lounge and pool hall on 6th Street.

Designed in the Art Deco style popular when it was built, the State lobby retains much of the charm of its past. The most notable renovation to the facility stemmed from intervention by Live Oak Theatre, a local, producing theatre company. Forced to vacate its 3rd Street warehouse location, Live Oak engaged in negotiations to acquire the State Theatre because it seemed to be an ideal location for the company’s permanent home. In June 1994, the Austin City Council named Live Oak the recipient of the $1.9 million in public bond money earmarked for renovation of the State Theatre.

Designed by Austin architect Sinclair Black, the old movie house interior was transformed into an inviting, open, 320-seat space offering patrons optimum visibility and comfort. The renovation also included the construction of a new lobby, backstage work areas, dressing rooms, and a rehearsal hall. Six months later, the company finalized its purchase of the State Theatre, moved into the building and continued its tradition of presenting quality work and supporting the growth of new plays. Embracing the spirit of its new permanent home, the company changed its name to The State Theatre Company.

In 2000, the company merged with its next-door neighbor, The Paramount Theatre for the Performing Arts, to form the Austin Theatre Alliance (ATA). An endeavor that began with two distinct operational and business models has combined the best of both to become one of Austin's most uniquely productive performing arts resources - a thriving organization that both presents and produces a broad range of drama, comedy, music, dance and spoken-word events of the highest caliber, in downtown Austin's most commanding venues.