 | |
 | |
| Address | 119 North Main Street Zelienople, Pennsylvania United States |
|---|---|
| Owner | The Strand Theater Initiative |
| Type | Non-profit Organization |
| Capacity | 300 |
| Current use | Performing Arts, Movie Theater |
| Construction | |
| Opened | Oct, 27 1914, reopened 2009 |
| Closed | about 1986 |
| Rebuilt | 2008-2009 |
| Years active | 1914-1986; 2009-Present |
| Website | |
| www.thestrandtheater.org | |
The Strand Theater is a performing arts, film and community center in the borough of Zelienople, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
The Strand Theater was constructed and managed by Gioachino and Rosalia Sapienza in 1914 along Main Street (U.S. Route 19) in downtown Zelienople. It is one of the oldest movie theaters in Butler County. The theater was not only used for showing feature films, but was also used as a performing arts center. It featured silent films with live piano accompaniment as well as Vaudeville-style shows on its small stage. [1]
During its long run as a theater, it was owned and/or managed by the Sapienza, Evans, Thomas, and Nalevanko families, all from Zelienople. Local teenage boys and girls were hired as ushers for many years, showing customers to their seats with a flashlight. The price of admission for adults was 10 cents during the 1930s and 50 cents during the 1950s (children under 12 for less). [2]
The Strand closed down in the mid-1980s and sat abandoned for over 20 years. One of the last films shown there was Top Gun with a release date of May 12, 1986. Another was Wildcats with a release date Feb 14, 1986. [3]
In 2001, the Strand Theater Initiative was formed by the residents of Zelienople and surrounding communities in hopes of saving the structure. Over the next four years, the initiative would set up certain activities in the area to help with the fundraising. By 2006, enough funds were collected to start the renovation process.
In the summer of 2007, work began on the interior of the theater, as the floor and seats were removed for the building restoration. A complete rebuilding of the structure began in the spring of 2008 and took nearly a year to complete. The theater reopened in late July 2009, with the first patrons through the doors being Mr. Alan Tomo and his daughter Madeleine. [4]
The Strand Theater currently shows classic and new movies Friday and Saturday evenings, as well as Sundays during the afternoon. The theater is also available for private rentals. [5]
Special events at the Strand include a new Concert Series, as well as "Northern Nightmares" that takes place during the Halloween season. [6]
Sewickley Heights is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 857 at the 2020 census. Sewickley Heights is one of the wealthiest municipalities in Pennsylvania and in the United States.
Zelienople is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles (45 km) north of Pittsburgh. The population was 3,812 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
Robert Doyle Marshall Jr. is an American film and theater director, producer, and choreographer. He is best known for directing the film version of the Broadway musical Chicago, which was based on the play of the same name by playwright Maurine Dallas Watkins. His work on the film earned him the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film, as well as nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director, the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, and the BAFTA Award for Best Direction.
The Hill District is a grouping of historically African American neighborhoods in the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Beginning in the years leading up to World War I, "the Hill" was the cultural center of black life in the city and a major center of jazz. Despite its cultural and economic vibrancy, in the mid-1950s a substantial area was slated for redevelopment, displacing about 8,000 individuals.
The Seneca Valley School District is a public school district in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is centered on Jackson Township and nearby Cranberry Township, a quickly growing municipality. It encompasses approximately 95 square miles (250 km2) and also includes the boroughs of Harmony, Evans City, Callery, Zelienople and Seven Fields, as well as the townships of Forward and Lancaster.
The Byham Theater is a landmark building at 101 Sixth Street in the Cultural District of Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally built in 1903 as The Gayety Theater, the former vaudeville house was renovated and reopened as The Byham Theater in 1990.
Heinz Hall is a performing arts center and concert hall located at 600 Penn Avenue in the Cultural District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Home to the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) and the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, the 2,676 seat hall presents about 200 performances each year. Originally built in 1927 as Loew's Penn Theatre, the former movie palace was renovated and reopened as Heinz Hall in 1971.
Gordon Kenneth MacLeod, MD (1929–2007) was a physician and professor of health services administration at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, who also served as the state of Pennsylvania's secretary of health (1979–1980).
Baldinger's Market is a small store located along U.S. Route 19 in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The original store was built in 1933 and was located just south of Zelienople, and north of the retail centers in Cranberry Township.
Andrea Fitting is the first female director of Parkvale Bank, the sixth-largest bank headquartered in the Pittsburgh region and the 26th-largest public company in Pennsylvania. She is serving her fourth term in this capacity. Fitting is founder and CEO of Fitting Group, a branding agency headquartered in Pittsburgh.
Kuhn's Quality Foods Markets is a family-owned chain of grocery stores located in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area of the United States.
The Three Rivers Film Festival is an annual film festival, held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and is presented by Film Pittsburgh.
Hundred Acres Manor Haunted House is a haunted attraction in the South Hills of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It opened in 2003 on the former location of an earlier haunt called Phantoms in The Park. The main building and surrounding area originally housed a pool and community hall. Hundred Acres Manor is a charity haunted house. Profits go to Animal Friends and The Homeless Children's Education Fund.
Theater in Pittsburgh has existed professionally since the early 1800s and has continued to expand, having emerged as an important cultural force in the city over the past several decades.
The Whiteside Theatre is a historic theater building in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. Constructed in 1922 and closed as a commercial theater in 2002, the 800-seat venue was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
Nathan Earnest Harper is a convicted felon and former Chief of the Pittsburgh Police, a position he held from October 31, 2006, to February 20, 2013. Prior to this appointment he was the long-time "Assistant Chief in Charge" of the Investigations Branch. He is Pittsburgh's third African-American Chief of Police.
Kelly Strayhorn Theater is a performing arts center located at 5941 Penn Avenue in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. named in honor of Pittsburgh natives Gene Kelly and Billy Strayhorn. The theater is committed to providing a platform for emerging artists, community producers, and progressive arts and cultural experiences that address contemporary issues.