(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- NJTV, New Jersey’s public television network will feature State Theatre New Jersey in the second episode of its documentary series, Treasures of New Jersey. The series pays homage to some of the Garden State’s most iconic places, from historic landmarks and cultural centers to popular destinations. The episode, Treasures of New Jersey: State Theatre New Jersey premieres Wednesday, November 14 at 8:30pm on NJTV (check local listings). There will be an encore showing on Friday, November 16 at 10:30pm. Online viewing of the episode will be available at stnj.org/AboutUs shortly after the public air dates.

“Through this documentary, it's easy to see why it's a natural subject for Treasures of New Jersey,” said NJTV General Manager John Servidio. “The State Theatre's history and evolution is indelibly interwoven with that of the city and the state. It is an institution that exemplifies a very 'Jersey' resilience and desire for growth.”

“I see us as always an adapting organization,” says State Theatre President & CEO Sarah K. Chaplin in the film. “But I think we will always embrace our past.”

Narrated by news personality and New Jersey native Jack Ford, Treasures of New Jersey: State Theatre New Jersey spotlights the complexities of operating a modern “presenting theater” and family-friendly non-profit arts haven while telling the Theatre's history through archival photographs, film, and interviews with those who know it best. State Theatre New Jersey’s President & CEO Sarah K. Chaplin; Board Chairman Scott Fergang; and Master Electrician & Lighting Designer Craig Werner,considered the Theatre's resident historian, are among those sharing their perspectiveAlso interviewed: longtime patrons Joan and Robert Campbell, who have been going to and supporting the Theatre for more than six decades; Artist-in-Residence Glenis Redmond, who extends the theatre’s mission using community outreach activities; and representatives from Johnson & Johnson and Rutgers University's Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, who add perspective to the lasting bond between the Theatre, local businesses, and the city.

State Theatre New Jersey opened in 1921 as “Reade's State Theatre,” when New Brunswick was a thriving transportation hub and manufacturing center with a growing population, booming local businesses and several theaters. The State Theatre stood out as a grand live performance and movie palace in the heyday of silent film and vaudeville. Designed by renowned theater architect Thomas W. Lamb, it was one of the largest, most lavish modern theaters in the region. In the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1930s, State Theatre offered top-notch entertainment, showing first-run hit movies like Giant, starring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean, and featuring appearances by A-list performers. These offerings helped the State Theatre prosper for decades. That success, however, would eventually wane in the 60s and 70s, with the rise of new suburban multiplex cinemas coupled with the general population moving away from New Brunswick and urban decay.

The State Theatre's decline continued until 1979, when local leaders put together the funding to purchase the theatre as part of the city’s revitalization project. Its next chapter would follow with years of renovation that restored it to the grandeur of its early days. 

Since 1988, the State Theatre has welcomed more than 5.5 million people to its performances and special events. The theatre also welcomes over 30,000 local school children each year. Looking ahead, State Theatre is planning further facility expansion and increasedarts and education programs to benefit future generations of patrons and students.

“(The Theatre) is going to be a part of a great story because the city has to keep growing to stay alive and the State will be a part of that,” says Mr. Campbell in the film. “This has been, for all these decades...a great part of the past and it will be a great part of the future.”

Treasures of New Jersey: State Theatre New Jersey is a production of Public Media NJ, Inc. for WNET. John Servidio is Executive in Charge.  Sally Garner is Executive Producer and Writer. Funding for Treasures of New Jersey: State Theatre New Jersey made possible by the Family of Robert Wood Johnson III:  Dedicated to enriching the lives of all Americans through medical research, education, and the arts.

Treasures of New Jersey follows in the footsteps of the popular local series, Treasures of New York, produced by WNET affiliate WLIW. That series, which premiered in 2011, has profiled over 30 institutions across New York.

NJTV, New Jersey's public television network, brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to all 21 counties in New Jersey and its tri-state neighbors. NJTV presents acclaimed PBS series such as Nature and BBC World News America and children's programs with diverse local programs including American Songbook at NJPAC,On the Record with Michael Aron, Driving Jersey/Here's the Story, NJDocs, Due Process, One-on-One with Steve Adubato, Classroom Close-Up NJ, and State of the Arts. The network's flagship news broadcast, NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams, features stories from across the Garden State. NJTV, headquartered at the Agnes Varis NJTV Studio in Newark, with additional studio space at New Jersey City University, and remote cameras at university content bureaus across the state, strives to engage the community and increase public awareness of critical local issues. Its community outreach initiatives include In Your Neighborhood, which combines live on-location broadcasts, special programming and community engagement events to spotlight some of New Jersey's most dynamic places and Healthy NJ: New Jersey's Drug Addiction Crisis, combining community forums, news reporting and a resource-driven website to help combat the state's heroin and opioid overdose crisis. The NJTV website offers online programs and free digital resources for educators.

NJTV is operated under an agreement with the State of New Jersey by Public Media NJ, Inc. (PMNJ), a non-profit affiliate of WNET, parent company of award-winning New York public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21.