Earlier this month, the Old Greenbelt Theatre auditorium reopened after a four-month renovation project with new cinema-style seating and audio and video upgrades. The theater also replaced its roof.
The city of Greenbelt and Friends of Old Greenbelt Theatre, the nonprofit that runs the historic Art Deco theatre, which opened in 1938, are now planning even further renovations.
During the first phase of renovations, the theater had to shut down its main auditorium, so it set up a 40-seat pop-up theater. In February, work will begin on converting that space into a state-of-the-art screening room and media arts literacy lab, turning the Old Greenbelt Theatre into a two-screen duplex.
Money for the auditorium renovations came in part from the Save Me a Seat campaign by the Friends of Old Greenbelt Theatre, which raised more than $100,000.
An earlier round of renovations to the lobby, concession area and restrooms as well as the facade and historic Art Deco marquee was completed in 2014.
The theater’s offerings range from indie films like South Korean comedy thriller “Parasite” to classics curated by film scholar Caitlin McGrath, who is founder and director. It’s currently one of just 250 theaters nationally showing the limited run of Martin Scorcese’s “The Irishman.”
McGrath told the Hyattsville Wire she is excited to start educational programs, as part of the new media arts literacy lab, to complement the current film offerings at the Old Greenbelt Theatre. The lab will offer workshops, classes and field trips for all ages with a focus on film education and hands-on learning.
“As a trained educator in film history with over ten years of experience in the classroom, I’m very much looking forward to bringing my background in film education to the Old Greenbelt Theatre,” she said. “This new initiative will help us fully realize our mission as a center for film education in the region.”
Old Greenbelt Theatre also has a summer series of children’s movies, free monthly matinees of classic films and regular showings of documentaries on theatre, dance and art. It also offers Storytime on Screen, a free program in partnership with the Prince George’s County Memorial Library Service that’s aimed at children up to five-years-old. Held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of every month, each program includes a story, a movie and related craft project.
You can become a yearly member of the Old Greenbelt Theatre to receive movie discounts and other members-only benefits.
