09/03/2026
Here we go with part 2 of "What's Behind THAT Wall?"
What you're looking at is our former janitor's closet, which will be our NEW accessible washroom *pause for celebration*. On the wall directly across from the doorway we found an exterior window behind the paneling which prompted my visit to Castanet and search for old photos. Couldn't find a photo that extended that far down the alley.
The second opening is on the right, and we honestly don't know what it was used for. It opens up to the back of the theatre, right around the middle of the black-painted wall in that last photo there.
Looking at photos we have from when we operated as a dancehall, this room is located around the area where the bar or coat check would have been. However, that opening is pretty small for either, so I’m not entirely convinced!
So we have a few more likely theories:
🍼 A "cry room": Popularized mid-century so parents could soothe a crying baby in a soundproof room while still watching the film. (Though usually, those windows were much larger than this 1-foot square opening!)
🎤A follow spotlight port: Used for live stage events.
📖 An old manager’s office: Complete with a small observation window to monitor the auditorium quietly.
What do you think this mystery room was for? Unless we track down old blueprints or a former employee, your guess is as good as ours!
