Colony project gift

"The Peoples" Bank Theater?! Really?! Will there be a mural of Chairman Mao on the marquee? But seriously... If naming rights had been on the auction block, certainly someone would have offered more that $250,000. What we should all be asking is when do the bank's naming rights expire? The sum of 250k should buy them no more than five years...

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First off, I'm about to faint for agreeing with oneill....first time possibly? (Although I don't read or post often here anymore) Anyhow, I am glad to hear People's Bank donated back to the community, as this is a good idea, but to rename a place such as this People's Bank Theatre is tacky and chisels away the integrity of the historical monument the Hippodrome or Colony Theatre is known for. It may be a modern thing to name a building after a contributor, but seriously? People's Bank Theatre? Tacky, tacky, tacky. Maybe they will "donate" back the name now.

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@Andrew - And i'm still awaiting your apology for misquoting what I said! "Speak the speech I pray you, trippingly on the tongue ... Oh it offends me to the soul to see a robustious perri-wigged fellow tear a passion to tatters, to very rags, to split the ears of the groundlings ..." ~ Hamlet Act III, scene 2 ...

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And the "greater good" of renaming the Colony Theater is what ??

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@Andrew - My support for both theater and historical preservation is well-know. I also know some of the "Colony" project innovators who have put much hard work into restoration of the theater, and, if they had been as hostile to public input as you have been on these posts, the project would have died ten-years ago ... Questioning the wisdom of renaming a long-standing Marietta landmark is NOT tanamount to treason, nor an indication of lack-of-support! Methinks thou doth protest too much! And you are from where again? And what exactly IS your role in this production?

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The Armory backers must just be sick to their stomachs over this one. The Armory could have been paid for years ago by offering naming rights. Lets see………hmmmmm.

American Greeting could have bought the rights to the Amory and called it the Marietta House of Cards.

Or maybe Peoples Bank stepping up again and naming it Marietta Peoples Bank Money Pit.

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AndrewJones,.and I don't type very well either. My qualities surface in my work.

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Hey Andy-whatever, u claim u live in Atlana, so why stick your nose in our business........stick your nose up your own rear-end and take a "fif". Never said I was an English major, swing a hammer for a living. I'm also abit older than u. Been subjected to alot of criticism because I have something the company wants. And I won't hand it over. If u would take the time to "Read" the comments(all of them). U can clearly see that U and u alone supports this poor excuss for a bank! For someone who hasn't lived here for over fifteen years.....u sure have alot to say about something u know nothing about. My lawyer once told me that "I am truly a good person with a big heart because of all the totally unselfish work that I do. This was told to me during a time of great dispair. It's just that my "brush Strokes" are much wider than others like yourself. I will never forget that! I will always be a advocate for wrongly judged and treated, which is rampant here

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@oneill: If you support them, then truly support them and give them the benefit of the doubt that renaming the theatre was a hard, gut-wrenching decision for them, but they had to make a call. Think of the greater good before putting them down publicly.

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@doggonit Wow, thanks for proving my point about people making ignorant remarks about things they know nothing about. Judging by the name-calling and poor spelling, I'm not sure you're the target audience anyway.

But to answer your question, I have zero ties to Peoples Bank. They were my personal bank for several years when I lived in Marietta, but that's it. And I moved to Atlanta in 2006, so I've got no skin in the game as far as the bank is concerned.

When I first got involved in the theatre, it was 1997 and I was 25 years old making $15k at Wal-Mart. I've since gone on to bigger and better things, but only through hard work building my own business.

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because every person who supports this is a fat cat for the bank.... thats logical.....

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Andrew Jones you have answered my question about your ties to People's Bank......by "dodging them. Where do you think banks get their money? It's called "The Federal Reserve" you dummy!!!!!! Where do you think the "Federal Reserve" gets their money...............Taxpaiers you dummy! I along with other have cold hard FACTS regarding to the way Peoples Bank/Insurance operatates and it is just "WRONG" dued! Sooooooooooooooo what did you and the bank ceo have for dinner last night? Did you discuss the "Tax Credits " the bank will be going after? Or who much better you think you are than the working class.

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@Mr. Jones - If you re-read what I wrote, I did NOT say that I "would not patronize" the theater. I merely said that I (like several others, including you apparently) don't think the name change is a good idea ... If you quote me in the future, please do so correctly ... On the "unwashed masses" thing - if you don't want to give the impression that the - what shall we call it? "Colony/PBT theater"? - project is a "snob thing", don't name it after a bank! As I said before, I have always supported the Colony Restoration Project!

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@FormerMOVer: The theatre director job is, indeed, a full-time job. He manages everything, from grant proposals to environmental testing, to construction plans to event planning, you name it.

And if you think $50k is exorbitant, you clearly haven't been outside the MOV long. That's barely cost of living. And comparing it to a teacher's salary is irrelevant. They're not the same thing. And to suggest he do a full-time job for free, just for the love of it, is ridiculous. It's a job, and is worthy of the compensation.

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@oneill: I simply don't understand your comment about the theatre excluding the "unwashed masses" or being only for "fat cats". Just because the bank is a minor contributor? Come on. That was NEVER what the Colony project was about, and isn't something the area could sustain. This just sounds like ignorant piling on of a project some people haven't bothered to learn anything about.

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To @Oneill and those that say they won't patronize the theatre simply because of its name, I think that's just being petty. Again, the bank offered a charitable donation and the theatre accepted.

To be honest, I also don't like the renaming. I believe it should remain The Colony Theatre, and "The Peoples Bank Theatre" does leave a bad taste in my mouth.

However, I trust the theatre board to do the right thing and I know this was a very difficult decision for them. But they made it for the greater good of the project. I'd like to think the name is negotiable, but if not, I think we can make it work.

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@doggonit: Again, your attacks are misguided. You clearly have an issue with the bank, and that's your business. Fact is, they made a charitable gift to a community arts project. It's not your money or even taxpayer money. If you feel the bank is mishandling their funds, feel free to take it up with them.

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And to AndrewJones: so the theater director makes $50K for what he does? Seems like a lot to me. Some educators make far less for far more important work and deal with greater difficulties. Restoring the Colony should be a labor of love; the pay and the problems should be irrelevant. Just ask any of us who have been involved in far more important projects for far smaller salaries.

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I have many fond childhood memories of the Colony Theater. Movies seen there. Attending live performances of children's stories. To see it restored to its former glory is truly wonderful. I have to qustion, however, the "renaming" of this Putnam Street fixture. Peoples Bank Theater smacks of crass commercialism, not economic and historical rennaissance. Throughout the world, arenas and theaters bear their beautiful historic names: White Hart Lane, Old Vick, Old Trafford. But in America, naming goes to whatever entity coughs up the most cash. That's either the lowest form of capitalism, or the highest form of prostitution.

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One thing that could eventually defeat the project is if a small group of folks project the impression that it is a "private concern", and not something that the "unwashed" masses should be allowed to share! That includes making ticket-prices not so high that only fat cats can attend future events there ... It would certainly be ironic if what once was a relatively cheap form of family entertainment should become merely a playhouse for the snob set!

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Also (since Andrew decided to bring it up) let's hope that the future management of the "Colon ... I mean "Peoples Bank Theater" is better than the former management of the "Becky Thatcher", otherwise the Bank might end up being the final owner!

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I'm not "slamming" the project. In fact, I've supported it on many occasions for many years, but, of course, my small individual donations don't suggest that it should be renamed the "O'Neill Theater" (that DOES have a nice ring to it though & would go well with the O'Neill Center) ... I think that many here support the project but are just questioning renaming the theater. After all, we WERE told that we were supporting the restoration of the "Colony" Theater ... Git 'er done & then let the public vote for a name! It could be a money-raiser!

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AdrewJones how long have you been banking or working at Peoples bank? And how much of their stock do you own? Banks and Insurance are the two biggest thieves on the planet. The working class has just had enough of you and your kind. And our numbers are gowing. I find your comment ignorant and offensive. You surely can't be that stupid to what's really going on here.....because we're not!

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Another point to make, there have been sponsorship tiers available for the Colony for YEARS. Anyone at any time could donate enough money to name certain areas of the theatre, including the theatre itself. It just so happened to be a local bank.

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To the folks slamming this project, I ask you, what are YOU doing to better your community? It's so easy for folks with nothing better to do than b**ch and moan about everything in their lives than get involved in something important.

Also, if you've got a beef with Peoples Bank, that's a separate issue. Their association with the theatre should not change the fact that their gift has made it possible for this project to be completed.

I also find it abhorrent that people would attack the folks who have put hundreds of hours, blood, sweat and tears into this project for over a decade. I've been involved in this project for 15 years and I can tell you the dedication to this project has been unlike anything I've ever seen. To keep going in the face of such odds and the ignorance like the voices on newspaper forums is nothing short of heroic.

If it makes you feel superior to attack the theatre director, go right ahead. $50k is not enough for what he deals with.

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