THE SHOW MUST GO ON

Despite a decade of impressive success and growth, continued restoration and renovation are high on the Panida's list of priorities. That's where the Panida theater Committee comes in. This dedicated group of volunteers is proud to sustain and maintain a theater which serves the Sandpoint community and its diverse performance needs so well.

Our Mission is to restore and manage our national historic treasure, the Panida theater, so that it may continue to nurture cultural growth and be a strong focal point for performing arts that enrich the Sandpoint community and the Inland Northwest.

Our primary goals are:
- To complete the renovation and improvement of the Panida for our audiences and performers; to enhance cultural growth in our community; and to preserve historic elements of the theater.
- To develop marketing, public relations and promotional programs that generate higher event attendance, and also increase networking and effective interaction among all area arts organizations.

In addition to generous support from the community, the Panida has received grants and aid from the Idaho Commission on the Arts, the Idaho Community Foundation, the Idaho Heritage Trust, Steele-Reese Foundation, Foundation Northwest and the Burlington Northern Foundation.

JOIN THE TROUPE
A community theater is much more than a room with a stage at one end. It is an expression of the energy and excitement of participation as people give of themselves to become part of the theater. It is an opportunity for education as the community grows in understanding and appreciation of the arts. Finally, it is the pride of knowing that "we did it!" through working together to bring the drama, the romance and the skill of performing arts to Sandpoint.

The Panida's revival is well under way, but your help is still critical to the theater's long-term survival. Contributions of time, materials and, of course, money are all welcome. Whether you choose to support our general fund, purchase a personalized brick or endow a chair in the auditorium, you will become an important member of the Panida family that sustains and nourishes the cultural life of our region.

I BELIEVE IN THE PROMISE OF PERFORMANCE...
HERE'S HOW I CAN HELP:
$_______ Producer ($1,000 or more)

$_______ Playwright ($500 to $1,000)

$_______ Star ($250 to $499)

$______ Thespian ($100 to $249)

$______ Player($41 to $99)

$_______ Supporter (up to $40)

YOUR PIECE OF THE PANIDA
You link your name forever with the Panida theater when you endow one of our auditorium chairs or purchase a personalized brick.

___ Endowed Chair ($250)

____ Brick ($50)

Name (as you wish it to appear on the chair plaque or brick):

__________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________

City, State, Zip _______________________________________

Phone (work) __________________________________

(home)_____________________________________
We welcome the support of individuals, families, small businesses and large corporations in short, anyone and everyone. All our efforts contribute to making Sandpoint a great place for the performing arts, and a great place to live!

Friends of the Panida Theater

As a community owned theater, the Panida depends on the participation of all kinds of people with all kinds of support. While financial assistance is very important to the theater one element of support that is just as important as money is time: the time people give to the Panida. We would be lost were it not for the Friends of The Panida.

An informal group, the Friends of the Panida are dedicated to the theater. Their time is spent volunteering during events at the theater and in the community at special fund raising projects. Volunteers help with ticket sales, ticket taking, concessions, and ushering for events presented by the Panida. In addition to the Panida-produced events the theater is frequently rented by other community organizations, such as POAC and the Unicorn Theater, which require volunteers in a similar capacity. Visiting performing artists use the Panida as a venue and volunteers are, of course, needed!

Outside of the theater building, we have 2 scheduled fund raising events each year:
Play It Again Panida- a music/video sale of used/new material which takes place during Crazy Daze
The Ice Cream Booth at the Festival at Sandpoint (open during every Festival performance).

Our volunteers get to meet new people, help our community theater operate, and, as a bonus get in “free” when volunteering! If it’s movies, music, dance or just the good feeling you get when you’re giving, come on down and give us a hand!

Our theater needs your help. We wouldn’t be here without the dedication of our community. We wouldn’t be here without the Friends of The Panida.

For more information on volunteering as a Friend of The Panida, please call us at (208) 255-7801.

75 years at the Panida

In 1927, Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic, Babe Ruth set the record for home runs, and the first talking movie, "The Jazz Singer," was released.

That same year in Sandpoint, the Panida Theater opened as a premier movie house. Opening night patrons marveled at its distinctive architecture and artistic interior, and the press praised its Spanish Mission styling for "beauty that canŐt be approached by any other building in the city ... and equaled by few theaters in the West." Today the Panida is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been recognized by the idaho Heritage Trust for excellence in historic preservation.

Things in the world, in our country, and in northern idaho have changed over the years, but the Panida is still the home and heart of the performing arts and cultural activity here. This treasured theater is vintage Sandpoint and a delight for performers and audiences alike, which is why so many touring troupes go out of their way to bring entertainment here that would otherwise be available no closer than Spokane.

The Panida has showcased hundreds of talented performers. Last summer, Academy Award-winning cinematographer Erik Daarstad was honored at the "Cream of the Crop" Film Festival, the annual Banff Mountain Film Festival was the usual hit, and the end of the 8th Annual Global Cinema Cafr Series drew thousands of viewers. This year the Pend Oreille Arts Council brought the San Francisco Opera's "La Boheme," the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, and the Missoula Children's Theater to the Panida, and other organizations arranged for Tibetan Monks performing traditional sacred music and dance, Grammy-nominated fiddler Natalie McMaster, and acoustic blues musician Kelly Jo Phelps to perform on our stage.

Each year more and more people attend events at the Panida, 25,000 in the past year alone. Ranging from touring drama, dance, and music productions to school performances, from art and foreign films to religious performances and recitals, the variety of events reflects the diversity of the northern Idaho people who own and value the theater.

Become a member

ln 1985 a volunteer group of local citizens rescued the Panida, which had been closed for several years. It needed major repairs, and improvements since then include carpeting, electrical service, insulation, an extended stage, upgrading lighting, renovated restrooms, refurbished dressing rooms, and a new concessions area. The mortgage was paid off in 1995.

Like any older building, the theater continues to need ongoing maintenance and repair. One pressing requirement is a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system- the theater currently operates with its original boiler, and it has never had air conditioning. Fundraising for the HVAC system has been under way for a few years, and we hope that this season's Circle of Friends can help close the funding gap. We're also upgraded to a 35mm projection system, which has vastly improved both the image and sound of all films shown at the theater.

That's where you, and your participation in the Circle of Friends, come in