MOUNT PLEASANT, N.C. — The historic Paula Theater in Mount Pleasant holds many memories for Jim Avett.
“When I was a little boy, 5 or 6 years old, they had a Saturday morning matinee,” he told Channel 9’s Elsa Gillis. “I saw a lot of shoot ‘em ups here. It cost three Coca-Cola caps to get in.”
The musician and artist is also the father to Seth and Scott Avett, of the legendary Avett Brothers band. He’s part of a family for whom a love of music and their Mount Pleasant roots run deep.
“At my house, it was music every day,” he said. “Everybody ought to have music every day, or at least have the opportunity.”
So it’s fitting that the old Paula Theater, originally built in 1948, will soon be restored and renamed the Avett Theater.
Allen Dobson is helping to lead the project.
“It’s going to be a wonderful performing arts center, midsize venue, which there are not many left in the country, 600 to 650 people capacity,” Dobson said. “There’s so much deep music roots here, and we want this to be a part of that.”
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He said the idea was sparked when Scott Avett called about making a music video at the site.
“The experience of seeing them on stage, hearing the music inside here, it’s like, this is what this theater needs to be,” he said. “It needs to be brought back and be a place for music and for the community.”
Avett says he’s honored by the decision to name the theater after his family.
“I might have felt maybe a little better if it was an Avett parking lot or maybe an Avett bush or sidewalk or something, but if it will help draw people here, I’m all for it,” he said.
He said a resource like this is exactly what the community needs.
“The way that society moves ahead is by music, is by creative people,” Avett said.
Dobson says they hope to be a creative hub for people across the region.
“It’s going to be transformative,” Dobson added.
Inside, the theater will be modern with state of the art equipment. Outside, they plan to fully restore the exterior to its former 1940s glory.
The goal is to open the theater doors to the public in 2027.
The project has a lead donor and fundraising is currently underway. The restoration will add to a growing number of revitalization projects in downtown Mount Pleasant.
Visit the Avett Theater website for more information about the plans and how you can support the project.
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