Panida shines bright on anniversary

SANDPOINT — She doesn’t just look good for 86, she looks fabulous. Sure, the lady has had a bit of work done, but the Panida Theater’s elegance shows through with the same, vibrant beauty she displayed at her coming out party on Nov. 22, 1927.

The person who squired her into the limelight was F.C. Weskil, proud owner of the theater and, rumor has it, the man whose spirit still wanders around Sandpoint’s most classic downtown building.

Weskil gave a small list of community leaders a preview of the place the night before. After months of guarded secrecy — an effective tool for creating public curiosity about the new theater — those chosen few were allowed through the front doors for a special dedication ceremony on Nov. 21. It was a Monday evening and a reporter for the Pend d’Oreille Review captured the reactions in that week’s newspaper.

“The guests entered the lobby and received their first impressions of the beauty of the theater,” the article read. “Soft-shaded lights, thick carpets, a fountain and artistically decorated walls and ceilings caused them to stop and gasp.”

Mayor H.E. Brown welcomed the guests, Chamber of Commerce President A.P. Asher called the building “Sandpoint’s pride” and Kiwanis member Bruce Turnbull said the new theater was a “service to the people.”

Following the opening remarks, Weskil himself took the stage and dedicated the Panida Theater to the “people of the Panhandle of Idaho.” His address included instructions on how to pronounce the theater’s name — definitely not the Pan-Ida, he explained.

“The correct pronunciation is with a short ‘i’ and the accent on the first syllable,” Weskil said. “While, of course, this will lead to the calling of the theater the ‘Pan,’ it is desirable that the correct pronunciation of the name be known.”

A packed house greeted the new beauty the next night, as even more citizens stopped, gasped and discovered the magic of the auditorium as they watched silent film star Wallace Beery in a comedy titled, “Now We’re in the Air.”

Today, the 86-year-old theater evokes a different kind of reaction. Her beauty restored and new improvements planned for the interior, she has gone from being Sandpoint’s downtown doll to one of its primary community treasures.

According to Barry Bonifas, executive director for the theater, the Panida’s 86th anniversary is as much about looking forward as it is looking back.

Unlike appliances and automobiles, constant use is what keeps historic buildings alive and in the public eye, the director pointed out.

“We did 158 shows and another 30 or 40 rehearsals in the theater last year,” he said.

“The proof is in the pudding,” Bonifas added, drawing attention to the number of items on the calendar. “We’ve got almost six shows in three days right now.”

Bonifas, who stepped into the post when former executive director Karen Bowers retired after a 26-year run in which her name became synonymous with the theater’s success, brought with him a 40-year resume in the arts management field.

His vision of the Panida’s future calls for using grant money from the Sandpoint Urban Renewal Agency to “stabilize the structure and upgrade the infrastructure” so that, operationally, the theater matches the SURA-funded project that restored the marquee and repaired doors and windows. With new coats of plaster and paint, the building once again stood out as “Sandpoint’s pride.”

In Bonifas’ experience, which includes leading the restoration of the Mt. Baker Theater in Bellingham, Wash., and the Alberta Bair Theater in Billings, Mont., appearances can be everything when it comes to the condition of these historic buildings.

The Panida, he went on, is faring very well. Making a good thing even better, the director has long-term plans to lower the height of the stage for better viewing, upgrade the backstage infrastructure and bring in professionals to bring the auditorium walls back to the sheen that caused those first visitors to catch their breath.

In the short term, Bonifas would like to install a central, computerized ticket outlet for Panida events on-site — a project he said could be completed in the next year.

“There’s a good chance we might also work with the Pend Oreille Arts Council on that service,” he said. “Along with removing the confusion and, sometimes, frustration over where to buy tickets, it would give us a good vehicle for creating a customer database. Say we have an opportunity to schedule a movie at the last minute, we can send that information out to our customers right away to let them know about it.”

With only a little more than two months on the job, Bonifas already has seen the close relationship the people of the Panhandle of Idaho have with the theater named in their honor.

“Some people say the Panida is the heart of this community, others say it’s the soul,” he said. “It’s more than a relationship between the community and the theater — I think it’s a love affair.”

As part of its 86th birthday celebration, the Panida Theater board of directors has set a membership-based fundraising goal of $86,000 to further improve facilities, services and programming. To learn more, call the theater at (208) 255-7801, send an e-mail to panida@northidaho.net or visit them online at: www.panida.org