About a hundred years ago, the movie theater was a spectacle that went beyond people’s wildest imagination. With a sea of plush red seats and sometimes a balcony that beheld mystique and enchantment that loomed high above, the movie theater was the foundation for a new world that shocked some, mesmerized many and impressed all who entered the dimly lit corridors.

The nickelodeon was the new style, and a night out at the movies was a social celebration of magic and mystery in this new era of celluloid technology. Who knew that by 1915 and a silent feature called Birth Of A Nation would set the film world on fire and give way to what we now know as the feature film.

Fast forward to 2009, we not only take film for granted, but also theaters as multiplexes get bigger and bigger. As the Drive-In continues to fade away, you have to travel for miles and miles into smaller and smaller towns to find a unique theater that sits preserved in the sands of time (The Tivoli in Spencer or The Castle Theater in New Castle are two examples). For Indianapolis, the Alhambra, the Apollo, the Eastwood, and the Irving, to name a few, are all a distant memory.

Unless you search, you will have a hard time embellishing in the traditional essence of the theatrical experience. For the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Randall L. and Marianne W. Tobias Theater (The Toby for short), brings back that ambiance of the true movie-going experience that also expands beyond the capabilities of just showing film.

“It made a lot of sense to have a theater that was connected to the IMA,” said Anne Laker, Assistant Director of Public Programs. “Film and visual art deserves a better contribution in our city, and it was a void we could fill.”

With the success of the IMA’s Summer Nights series and various lectures and performances at the museum, they knew that they could make a bigger contribution to the presentation of the performing arts.

By reaching out to the Indianapolis community through the exploration of art, design, and the natural environment — the main components of the IMA’s mission — The Toby is the perfect vehicle to bring artists, architects, film enthusiasts, multimedia designers and more together under one roof.

“It’s appropriate for the art museum to have that visual experience. We wanted to do it right,” said Laker.

As easy as it sounds, the architectural design and technological construct took a degree of thought and planning to accommodate the many needs this theater would have.

Dominated by blacks, whites, grays and punctuated with greens and reds, careful consideration was made into the look of The Toby. It may not replicate the style of a traditional theater or what we consider today to be the traditional construct, but the outcome is a modernist approach that is cleanly contrasted and readily adaptable to the 600-seat venue. There is an orchestra pit that can be brought up and down depending on if it is needed for a performance. Oversized red plush seats (think of a super-sized bean bag chair) can be brought out to give the room a more relaxed feel. And no matter what, the balcony always presents its soft glow whether peering out into a film or a presentation or discussion on stage. Whichever way you look at it, the basic elements of the theater were kept in mind when bringing this dormant space back to life and into the future.

In addition to design, The Toby’s most valuable asset is the 35-mm film projector that is installed into the theater. The IMA works directly with the studios and distributors like The Criterion Collection to obtain these sometimes expensive reels. Ran by projectionist Eric Grayson, who also works with maintaining and preserving the film, this is a quality you cannot get sitting at home next to the DVD player.

“It does cost more money to obtain and run a 35-mm film, but it is the film that the artists want you to see,” she said. “These are the things that stand out for us and what brings people out to the movies.”

For Laker, she is a fan of preserving these elements.

“For some films we try to show the original cartoon and trailer to the film. When talking about classical film, there is a richness to a presentation like that.”

Before it was The Toby, it was a performing arts theater owned by a local theater company who would do various productions like “Hello Dolly,” for example.  After the theater company left, the facility was left empty for years.

“Chief Designer, David Russick had a vision for the space that was to serve a multi-purpose function from a black tie event to a Rocky Horror-like atmosphere,” she said.

And when it comes down to it, that is what The Toby is all about as the people involved are continuing to experiment while being “thoughtful to the performing arts,” Laker adds.

Just in 2009, the room played host to various events. For Halloween, they presented a viewing of Nosferatu that was accompanied by live music.  Last fall they also played host to a sold out concert and event which included live performances by Asthmatic Kitty artists and a film by Sufjan Stevens.

Beginning the 2010 season, this will be the second year for the Winter Nights series. Like Summer Nights, the museum will focus on a selection of films that will run every Friday night throughout January and February.

“With the success of last year we feel like Winter Nights is something that is as exciting as the Summer Nights. With Summer Nights, it mostly consists of fun films. We try to present a movie that helps you relax and for you to enjoy a summer night under the stars after the work week.”

With Winter Nights, films are more serious, presenting deeper dramas, more thoughtful plots, and expressive content that will lead to further discussion. Laker admits that she has experienced some very interesting discussions inside the museum as a result of these films. It’s a difference between The Goonies or Breaking Away in the summer to Arsenic And Old Lace and The Last Picture Show in the winter.

Speaking of The Last Picture Show, for this series the IMA has invited producer Peter Bogdanovich to The Toby for their showing of Orson Welle’s Touch Of Evil. Bogdanovich was a good friend of Welles, and he will be on stage to offer his insight into the film.

Last year, the IMA partnered with the Indy Chamber Orchestra to provide orchestration with Buster Keaton’s film The General. This season, they will return to accompany the Harold Lloyd film Safety Last.

It’s common for the IMA to partner with various organizations around the city. With museum culture, recent trends of expansion and innovation have led to bigger and bolder experiences for the user . And what a better way than the IMA to use the Toby to help accomplish this through inter-connectivity not just within the museum itself but throughout the city. Just recently, they teamed up with the Scott Chamber Players to do a concert in conjunction with their Sacred Spain exhibition. The Scott Chamber Players did research on pieces of music that represented the Spanish colonies during this time. What came out of it is a distinct enhancement to the museum-going experience and their special exhibit collection.

Beyond film and music, IMA’s Planet Indy looks at design and sustainability and how to bring it all together in the modern world. It’s a way to discuss ideas about “green” living as well as tie in IMA’s long-standing dedication to horticulture values in an artistic environment.

These are just a few things that The Toby is offering. According to Laker, they want to do so much more, but scheduling can be difficult.

We want to discover getting on the circuit for more performing artists,” said Laker. “It is hard because our theater gets booked up. But believe me, we are watching and working with our partners who are constantly sending us ideas and possibilities.”

The future is wide open for a facility like this. Many opportunities exist for constant evolvement and experimentation.

“With events like the Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival or the Indianapolis International Film Festival, we are doing really interesting things at the theater and rising to the challenge,” she said. “We want to bring in more film makers and the people who work in the film industry to give people a better understanding of all the concepts that go into making a film.

“Any given weekend we have something wacky and exciting and interesting within the walls of this theater. Many of our events are very easily obtainable so come and get it and experience what we have to offer.”

Link: http://www.imamuseum.org/toby

Winter Nights 2010 Schedule
All Shows at 7 p.m. - $9 Public/ $5 Members/ $7 students with ID

January 8: The Blue Angel
January 15: Nashville
January 22: Arsenic & Old Lace
January 29: Touch of Evil with special guest Peter Bogdanovich
February 5: The Dirty Dozen
February 12: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
February 19: The Last Picture Show
February 26: Safety Last! with One Week