The Metropolitan Theatre has been a hallmark of Morgantown’s artistic and cultural presence since the day it opened its doors for the very first time on July 24, 1924.
Over the years, its stages have seen dance recitals, films, comedic acts, musical performances, entertainment from West Virginia icons like Don Knotts and far, far more. The theater recently celebrated its 100th anniversary and the Morgantown History Museum is spotlighting its rich history and local impact with an exhibit that runs through this month.
Built by architect C.W. Bates for the Comuntzis brothers, The Met was the paragon of luxury in its early days — it was one the first theaters in the country to install an air conditioning system and one of the few theaters in the country to show films on a pre-release basis, with Morgantown viewing some titles up to 60 days before nationwide release. Its rich history includes a long list of local and major acts, numerous renovations, a couple of closings and reopenings and hundreds of thousands of guests over its lifetime.
Now, the theater sees performers from near and far and welcomes more than 35,000 guests through its doors each year.
That’s part of what the Morgantown History Museum’s exhibit aims to highlight: The Met’s longtime prominence in regional arts and entertainment, local economy and downtown recreation.
The Met’s history is well-documented, as is the history of theater in Morgantown on a larger scale. Between collections of the Morgantown History Museum, local libraries and private collections of local history enthusiasts, the history of entertainment in Morgantown can be traced from 1895-1985 to modern day.
One such local history enthusiast is Rick McEwuen, member of the Metropolitan Theatre Preservation Foundation, secretary/treasurer for the Friends of Morgantown History Museum and secretary/treasurer for the Cultural Arts Commission of Morgantown — and the curator of the museum’s current exhibit detailing The Met’s history and celebrating its 100th anniversary.
The exhibit includes a variety of memorabilia from The Met’s history, including pieces of the theater’s architecture and decor, oral records, historic photographs and documents, placards detailing the origins of each relic and a team of history enthusiasts available to answer questions.
The goal of the exhibit is not to simply display the historic collection; McEwuen hopes the exhibit encourages visitors to consider and appreciate the valuable impact The Met has left and continues to leave on Morgantown’s history and local businesses.
“The Met Theatre has always had a big impact on the downtown businesses and the cultural life of Morgantown,” said McEwuen.
Highlights of the exhibit include original playbills from The Met’s early days, a projector, memorabilia from Don Knotts’ time at The Met, stage lights, film reels, pieces of the original stage flooring and even some of The Dominion Post’s past headlines about The Met’s ventures.
The Met exhibit at the Morgantown History Museum will be on display through August. The museum’s upcoming plans include an exhibit on the United States’ 250th anniversary and how Monongalia County fits into national history, as well as a Halloween exhibit in the fall.
For more information, visit TheMorgantownHistoryMuseum.com or Facebook.com/MorgantownHistory. The Morgantown History Museum is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and noon-6 p.m. Saturday–Sunday.
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