Roxy Regional Theatre Enters Phased Reopening in September

Following a six-month hiatus, Clarksville's oldest professional theatre is slated to begin a phased reopening this September with a host of movie favorites in the Roxy Regional Theatre's popular Planters Bank Presents... Film Series.

The Roxy Regional Theatre theatre went dark in mid-March before being able to open its production of A Streetcar Named Desire, due to recommendations from state and local officials regarding the escalating COVID-19 pandemic and in the interest of the safety of patrons, performers and staff. As the world remains in the midst of a global pandemic, with cases continuing to rise in the community, live professional theatre will not return to the corner of Franklin and First until January 2021.

Roxy Regional Theatre Executive Director Ryan Bowie admits this was not an easy decision to make. "I weighed several different options while looking at national trends, the opinions of our patrons and sponsors, the recommendations of our local government and the voices of our professional talent from all over the country. But, I will say that when we are able to present live professional theatre once again in January, what a special time it will be -- and I hope you will join us!"

The Planters Bank Presents... Film Series will return on Friday evenings at 7:00pm, from September 11 to December 18. Tickets to each movie in the series are $5 per person (plus ticketing fees) and are currently available online at www.roxyregionaltheatre.org/filmseries.

A number of safety measures will be in place, including extra cleaning and limiting each screening to 50 patrons to allow for proper social distancing in the auditorium. Facial coverings to mask the nose and mouth will also be required for staff and patrons, and sanitizing stations will be located throughout the building. Full concessions will be available in sealed packaging.

The eclectic mix of new releases and classics presented this fall includes the following films:

YANKEE DOODLE DANDY
Friday, September 11 @ 7:00pm

FENCES
Friday, September 18 @ 7:00pm

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Friday, September 25 @ 7:00pm

JAILHOUSE ROCK
Friday, October 2 @ 7:00pm

JUST MERCY
Friday, October 9 @ 7:00pm

JUDY
Friday, October 16 @ 7:00pm

WHAT LIES BENEATH
Friday, October 23 @ 7:00pm

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Friday, October 30 @ 7:00pm and 11:59pm

ROCKETMAN
Friday, November 6 @ 7:00pm

SUNSET BOULEVARD
Friday, November 13 @ 7:00pm

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Friday, November 20 @ 7:00pm

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS
Friday, November 27 @ 7:00pm

NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION
Friday, December 4 @ 7:00pm

THE POLAR EXPRESS
Friday, December 11 @ 7:00pm

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
Friday, December 18 @ 7:00pm

In addition to the film series, September will mark the return of the Roxy's School of the Arts educational programming, which had to be suspended in March at the beginning of the pandemic. "That left close to sixty students without a full-time artistic home and, more importantly, took away the safe place in which they all love to grow and blossom," Bowie said. "But I am happy to report that the School of the Arts will be back in September, looking a little different and expanded."

Small classes of no more than ten students will be offered Monday through Thursday evenings, starting at 4:00pm, covering a variety of topics ranging from theatre history and voice to improvisation and stage management. New classes for adults are also slated for the fall. More details will be posted in the coming days to www.roxyregionaltheatre.org/schoolofthearts.

In the meantime, a number of rental options are available. Through the end of the year, the theatre's iconic marquee will continue to be available for personalization at a discounted rate of $100/day per side (a $50 savings), with the option to light the marquee on the evening of the rented date for an additional $25.

The Roxy Regional Theatre is also available for rentals for non-performance based events, including but not limited to birthday celebrations and corporate training events. Inquiries regarding rentals of the building or marquee can be emailed to rentals@roxyregionaltheatre.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.