Newtown Theatre Plans Major Renovations

NEWTOWN, PA — The nonprofit board that runs the historic Newtown Theatre is launching a fundraising program to help fund major renovations that will kick off in August.

Supporters of the local cinema can take part in the adopt-a-seat program to help raise an additional $100,000 needed for the renovations.

The plans call for new hardwood flooring and vintage-style seats on the first floor, a new coat of paint on the inside of the building, the addition of a wheelchair lift in front of the theatre and a new sprinkler system. The total cost is estimated to be around $600,000.

The theatre expects to close in August to start the renovations, with additional phases to follow in the coming years.

“The inside of the theatre hasn’t been touched in well over 50 years and the current seats date much further back than that,” says John Parry, president of the theatre’s board. “This renovation will help the theatre meet today’s standards of comfort, convenience, and accessibility.”

Located on North State Street in Newtown Borough, the 300-seat theatre dates back to the 1800s. It was originally built as a hall for town gatherings and a non-sectarian church for traveling ministers, but soon became a center of entertainment for the borough.

In the 1850s, the theatre hosted anti-slavery meetings, where both Lucretia Mott and Frederick Douglass delivered sermons. In 1906, the theatre held its first movie screening.

For more information or to adopt a seat, go to TheNewtownTheatre.com/adopt-a-seat.

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