the interior of the theater fulfills every promise made by the exterior. moth-eaten velvet-flocked wallpaper hangs in shards and pieces from the walls. it's sort of a cross between a gaudy cathouse and a mausoleum, served up with generous helpings of dust and grime, an almost unbeatable combination of questionable taste and neglect.
mrs. terwilliger is dusting the concession stand with a ragged feather duster, a hopeless task. old tim is on a rickety ladder, replacing burned-out bulbs in the chandelier. the orange tabby cat scratches itself on the leg of the ladder.
mrs. terwilliger and old tim watch as harry leads luke through the lobby.
harry, stanton and mrs. terwilliger, with the help of avery wyatt and his son spencer, tear down the rotting draperies and scrape off the wallpaper covering the lobby walls. then, as harry, spencer and stanton sand down the walls, avery and mrs. terwilliger hand them freshly-mixed cans of red wall paint and brushes. immediately, they all set to work painting.
luke's selling tickets from behind the candy counter while mrs. terwilliger sells refreshments to a line of customers. luke sells a ticket to a woman, who moves away, revealing