Fillmore Towne Theatre facts for kids
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| Address | 338 Central Avenue Fillmore, California |
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| Coordinates | 34°23′59.65″N 118°54′48″W / 34.3999028°N 118.91333°W |
| Capacity | 325 |
| Screens | 1 |
| Current use | Community theater, music concerts, arts education and film festivals |
| Construction | |
| Opened | October 2, 1916 |
| Rebuilt | 1996 |
| Years active | 1916-1994 |
The Fillmore Towne Theatre is an old and famous building in Fillmore, California. It used to be a place where people watched live shows called vaudeville and later, movies. Built in 1916, it's a special landmark in the town's center.
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Theatre History and Changes
This theatre opened in 1916. It first showed silent films, which were movies without sound. Live performers also used its stage for vaudeville shows. Vaudeville was a popular type of entertainment with different acts like singing, dancing, and comedy. Famous actress Mary Pickford even performed here!
Over the years, the Fillmore Towne Theatre had many different owners. Its name also changed several times. It was known as the Barnes, Stearns, and Fillmore Theatre. This old building also survived two fires and an earthquake.
Restoring the Theatre
In 1994, a big 1994 Northridge earthquake hit the area. The City of Fillmore then bought the damaged theatre building. Many citizens formed a group called the Save the Towne Theatre Committee. They worked hard to raise money.
They also received special money called grants from the government. The State Historic Preservation Office gave them grants too. All this money helped to restore the theatre. The restoration cost more than $1 million.
The theatre reopened in 1996. It started showing the newest movies again. However, in April 2011, the city could no longer afford to keep it running. So, the theatre stopped showing feature films.
New Life for the Theatre
In 2021, a group called Mudturtle Theatrical, Inc. bought the theatre. Mudturtle plans to fix it up even more. They want to make it a place for "building community through the arts." This means it will host plays, music, and art classes.
Theatre Structure and Features
The Fillmore Towne Theatre has one screen for movies. It was updated in 1994 after the earthquake. New seats and carpet were put in. A live stage was also added. This was done to bring back its vaudeville roots.
The main floor of the theatre has 333 seats. There is also a balcony, but it is currently closed to visitors.
