The Capitol Theatre, with its marquee facing West 65th Street in Cleveland’s Gordon Square neighborhood, has an uncertain future. A new board was formed to help make that future more certain and more enjoyable for the community (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
New stewardship board formed to guide theater
It’s a tough time for the film industry, and an even tougher time for historic theaters like the Capitol Theatre, 1390 W. 65th St., trying to pay its bills. The 104-year-old venue in Cleveland’s Gordon Square Arts District has an uncertain future regardless of its owner trying to spin the creation of a Capitol Theatre Stewardship Board as “an exciting new chapter” in a press release issued today.
Despite a $7 million theater renovation for a 2009 reopening after 24 years of being dark, the Capitol’s ticket sales are lagging. The theater’s revenues are having trouble paying on a $1.5 million loan that’s been restructured five times by City Council to reduce the payments. Scene Magazine reported in March the theater is selling well below the 75,000 tickets per year it needs to sell in order to break even.
The Capitol Theatre is Cleveland’s only West Side movie theater. It is owned by the nonprofit Northwest Neighborhoods Community Development Corp. (NWN) and operated by Cleveland Cinemas. While the neighborhood around the Capitol continues to add residents, including in some rather new expensive housing, the theater apparently needs a new plot written.
So a new advisory board, appointed by the NWN Board of Directors, is charged with reimagining strategies to ensure the long-term sustainability of the theater. The group will explore innovative operational models and fresh approaches to programming, partnerships and community engagement.
“The new Capitol Theatre Stewardship Board is giving fresh life to this neighborhood gem, helping ensure it remains a vibrant, accessible space for our communities,” said NWN Board President Anna Perlmutter in a written statement. “This new leadership model allows NWN to support the Capitol’s future while staying true to our broader mission across all of our neighborhoods.”
Seen from the corner of West 65th Street and Detroit Avenue, the Capitol Theatre and its Gordon Square Arcade building are at the heart of neighborhood solidly on the upswing. Yet the movie theater is having a hard time benefitting from it (Google).
Founding members of the theater’s stewardship board are Adam Davenport (City of Cleveland), Akshay Kalra (NWN), Angelica Compton (Youth Challenge), Brooklyn Burmeister (DLR Group), Jenn Kidd (Nightlight Theatre), Lauren Murray (Dunham Tavern), Michael Russell (Legal Aid), Nina Holzer (CHN Housing Partners and NWN Board), Robert Sulzmann (Destination Cleveland), and Valerie Temple (Cleveland International Film Festival).
“The Capitol Theatre is a beloved institution and symbol of the revitalization of the Gordon Square Arts District,” said Holzer, Chair of the Capitol Theatre Stewardship Board.
“Our stewardship board is comprised of residents and experts who recognize the theater’s importance to our neighborhood and will be developing strategies for maintaining this asset,” she added. “I am grateful for the hard work, commitment, and thoughtfulness of this group, and look forward to seeing what solutions are identified.”
But the fading film industry and its market isn’t helping. The number of theatrical tickets sold in the U.S. fell 38 percent in the last decade, while ticket prices rose 33 percent. Hollywood released an average of 112 theatrical films per year from 199-2009, dropping to 83 from 2010-23. Even before the pandemic, home entertainment including streaming has exacerbated the decline.
A new official Web site for the Capitol Theatre was created to provide information on upcoming events, rental opportunities and more. There stewardship board will report on its findings and activities in the coming months through the NWN and its regular newsletter. Persons can subscribe to the newsletter via a link at the top-right corner of the NWN’s Web site.
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