Although Ray Shepardson didn’t know it when he slipped through the door of Cleveland’s State Theatre 42 years ago, he was keeping a date with destiny. In fact, it was the rendezvous that ultimately led to his life’s calling.

In February 1970, Shepardson, a Cleveland schools administrator, was looking for a place to hold a scholars’ luncheon. He wandered into the vacant State Theatre. During the 1920s, the State and her sisters — the Palace, Ohio and Allen — were grand vaudeville houses. But, as people sought entertainment closer to their suburban homes, the stage lights were extinguished. By the time Shep-ardson saw the State, each theater had become a decrepit eyesore slated for demolition. To read more, click here to subscribe.