Royal Oak's Main Art Theatre Closes Its Doors

ROYAL OAK, MI — Royal Oak's Main Art Theatre is closing its doors for good. The marquee outside the theater delivered a final message to theatergoers over the weekend.

"Landlord kicked us out. It's been a fun ride. ... RIP 1941-2021."

The theater, which is located at 118 N Main St., closed temporarily on April 22 as the coronavirus pandemic took its toll on how many people could feasibly visit the theatre.

The Main Art excelled at showing cult films during weekend midnight showings, The Detroit News reported.

Chene Koppitz, who managed the theater from 1998 to 2005, told The News the theatre also served as a place that made people in the LGBTQ+ community safe and would often show LGBTQ+ films.

"That will always be legacy of the Main. It showed Metro Detroit that people truly loved film and wanted to be in community with film, even if they hadn’t taken a film appreciation class, even if they didn’t know who Kurosawa was," Koppitz told The News. "To be part of that legacy is amazing, and I’m so happy I am. I’m so happy I got to spend that time with people who just loved going to the movies."

During its time in Royal Oak, the theatre has hosted independent and art films such as "French Exit," which featured Michelle Pfeiffer, according to The Detroit Free Press.