Devon Theater for the Performing Arts

It’s hard to read, but the photo on Google maps shows the marquee saying something about a performing arts center coming soon. I guess that’s been on there a while.

As if maybe you have to consult with someone else first perhaps? If I’m not mistaken I think you just said as much in an unintentional way.

However, since he no longer lives here, you might want to ask Jack Ferry, since he seems to be privy to what any of us living here are not permitted to know.

I came across the site posted on 6/7/05 and was wondering if there has been any progress towards turning this into an arts center. Any news?

Just to come straight to the point, that’s ridiculous, you guys. We have a serious problem here in Northeast Philadelphia that has got to be gotten to the other side, of while your outlook is, “No, just let the creeps walk free.” The other day I had a visitor to here, and you know, it was outright embarrassing to point out to that visitor this old theater building and that in passing, saying how great these theaters we had around here used to be, but now look at it.

So listen up. When things go wrong, when we get morons in power instead of intelligent people, resulting in the vanishing of our theaters in this instance, that’s the time to speak up, not shut up, so in that regard you guys aren’t helping things any.

I would like to know what really happened here theater-wise. And how am I supposed to find that out if I just go quiet? You criticize me for making “personal attacks,” but just to set the record straight, when a bunch of morons take over a community in which I have very deep roots, and put crap in place of what had been classy before, well it doesn’t get any more personal than that. John Perzel, who has a great deal of influence here in Northeast Philadelphia right now, is a moron. So, too, is single-bullet-theory Arlen Spector. That’s why we’re getting crap here instead of great things happening. Ask Reese Hatley, the one currently in charge of restoring the Devon, or at least he’s trying to, he’ll tell you. Anyone around here who’s honest will tell you what I’m telling you. You guys are lashing out at me blind to the fact that I’m one of the good guys. I say if you’re going to lash out, do so where it’s warranted. And John Perzel definitely needs some serious lashing out against right now. So if you’re going to be harshly critical, direct your harsh criticisms at him, not me.

Yes it is, John, but doesn’t the nature of that photo strike you as a bit peculiar? To the average person, I being one at the time when that photo was taken, no one was aware that Northeast Philadelphia’s long-existing single-screen theaters were an endangered species in any way. And it does not seem that that photo was shot for any artistic reasons. There’s nothing artistic about it — except that in hindsight it now serves as view back into the past. But who among average Northeast Philadelphia citizens had that hindsight at that time? I sure didn’t.

As a photographer myself, I take pictures of things I believe to be things of permanence, but only for artistic reasons. But this photo looks like a “hit” photo. For what transpired after that photo was taken? One minute the theater was successful, the next, all this craziness. And is there a link between this photo that was taken when it was successful and all that craziness that followed?

It’s clearly not an owner taken photo. Rather, it was shot from a car that stopped briefly, took the photo, and then headed on. As if to say whoever took it was assigned to take it. Assigned by Pennsylvania State Representative John Perzel perhaps? Based on what followed next, that’s what I’m guessing…

Point of curiosity: Did the taker of this photo — showing the Devon during its successful swing as a great neighborhood movie theater — know what was awaiting ahead? What motivated them to take this photo, I wonder?

Exterior shown last night on Fox TV Channel 29 news as part of story on closure of AMC Orleans 8:

View link

Thanks for telling us, since I and many other Northeast Philadelphia residents didn’t receive that edition of the Northeast Times. That’s how it often is with that particular newspaper. Sometimes it gets delivered, sometimes not. Go figure. Maybe it’s local politics or something, I don’t know, but the only way I found out about this newest leg in the Devon saga was by visiting the Northeast Times website where they only provide the text of their articles and not the accompanying photos that often go with them. So regarding the photo that goes with this article, perhaps you can scan and post it so all can see it? Thanks

This article appeared in the Northeast Times for July 26, 2007, telling the latest on the Devon restoration:

http://www.northeasttimes.com/2007/0726/devon.html

Anymore up to date news on the Devon?

Also, Philadelphia City Councilwoman Joan Krajewski, who I believe is also credited with the Devon’s ongoing restoration (though I’m not 100% sure about that), just officially announced that she’s going to run for yet another term rather than retire as she originally planned.

As for Perzel’s still being a “leading member of the state house,” at this point that is totally questionable. The title he now holds is “speaker emeritus.” But is that actually an official title? Or simply a fabricated-on-the-spot one laced with a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor, a consolation prize as it were?

In any event, rumor has it that the great granddaughter of Joanna Pacitti (who hasn’t even been born yet) will officiate the grand ribbon cutting when the Devon finally reopens to the public, sometime just after the year 2500 I believe…

He continues as a leading member of the state house.