6:00 P.M.:

• DOORS OPEN
• TOURS
• WURLITZER ORGAN PERFORMANCE BY DAVID SCHROEDER 
• HISTORIC EXHIBIT
• FREE POPCORN & SODA

• PRESENTATION
• Q&A
• TOURS/EXHIBIT continue after the presentation

First opened on December 28, 1921, the Virginia Theatre—listed on the National Registry of Historic Places—has long been Champaign County’s premier stand-alone theatre, evolving through the decades from silent to “talking” films and from vaudeville and (so-called) “legitimate” theatre to today’s live rock and country-music concerts, comedy, touring Broadway shows, and more.

T.J. Blakeman, Champaign County History Museum President, and Perry Morris, Vice President, will appear on stage at the Virginia to share stories and an extensive collection of historic images of the people and places that gave Champaign its reputation as a lively theatre town.

In this special free presentation, T.J. Blakeman and Perry Morris have joined forces to tell the Virginia Theatre’s story against a backdrop of Champaign’s long, dynamic history of stage and screen. Their presentation will include photographs only recently unearthed along with fresh tales about the milestone performances, local productions, and people who made it all happen here in east central Illinois.

No tickets are required. We'll have a performance on the Virginia’s Wurlitzer pipe organ before the presentation (featuring David Schroeder, House Organist), and complimentary concessions, exhibits, and tours of the facility are included. The event will also be recorded for streaming online at a later date.

Presented by the Champaign Park District and the Champaign County History Museum. 




NOTICE: FACE MASKS ARE REQUIRED AT THE VIRGINIA THEATRE
On Thursday, August 26, 2021, Illinois Governor Pritzker announced an Executive Order that all individuals age 2 and up who are medically able are required to wear a face mask while indoors in public settings, regardless of vaccination status.

Please note that, per the Order, individuals may remove face masks while eating or drinking.

For more, please visit this page.

About the speakers:

T.J. Blakeman is President of the Board of Trustees of the Champaign County History Museum, a role in which he has served since 2015. In that time, the Museum has undergone a complete renovation of its home, the Historic Cattle Bank, and has installed all-new professional exhibits and programs. Mr. Blakeman served as Chair of the City of Champaign’s 150th Anniversary Historical Committee and has created a local history blog about historic Champaign buildings. An eighteen-year veteran of the City of Champaign’s Planning and Development Department, he holds the title of Senior Planner for Economic Development.



Perry Morris has a keen interest in history, and that, along with his involvement in preservation efforts at the Orpheum Theatre, led to years of researching local theatre history. He co-authored The Art Theatre: Playing Movies for 100 Years with Joe Muskin and Audrey Wells and has created a website, CUTheaterHistory.com. Mr. Morris has served on the boards of the Art Film Foundation, the Preservation and Conservation Association, the Orpheum Children’s Science Museum, and the Champaign County Historical Society. He currently serves on the board of the Champaign County Genealogical Society and is Vice President of the Board of Trustees at the Champaign County History Museum.

Champaign County History Museum is a 501(c)(3) organization that exists to collect and preserve artifacts relating to the history of Champaign County, Illinois, and—by using those artifacts in formal and informal educational activities—to interpret that history to the public. Founded in 1972 and opened for exhibition in 1974, the Museum’s original home was the Wilber Mansion, located at 709 West University Avenue. The Wilber Mansion was sold in 1997, with proceeds being used to acquire the Museum’s current home at 102 East University Avenue, The Cattle Bank, Champaign County’s oldest documented commercial structure (1857). 

For more, visit champaigncountyhistory.org.