In the early twentieth century, a crew of men were working on the stage putting up the lights for the next show at the center. All of the men, except one, went to have their lunches outside of the center, while one man stayed behind to finish his work. When the men returned to the center, they found that their co-worker had accidentally fell from the lights and died instantly. The man’s name was Joe. He was also a huge fan of the center and the plays that went on there, as he was an inspiring actor himself.
Ever since that fateful day at the Arts Center, a man in work clothes has been seen sitting in a seat on the top balcony of the center. When someone goes up stairs to see who it is, there is no one to be found.
Joe is also said to help older ladies find their way to their seats, and when the lady thanks the manager of the center for what kind ushers he has, he realizes that it was just him and another fellow at the front doors who were working that night. Also, anytime that a director advertises pictures of new actors for the up-coming play on the wall, he returns the next day to find that all of his pictures had been torn off the wall and thrown to the ground. For acts like these, the employees of the Paramount have given him the name of Broadway Joe. (Yes, like Joe Naismith’s nickname)
Broadway Joe still haunts the Paramount Arts Center to this day, and has become an often occurrence at the center.
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