The Bethesda Theatre, constructed in 1938, is a historic Streamline Moderne movie theater located at 7719 Wisconsin Avenue (MD 355), Bethesda, Maryland, United States. It is a multi-level building composed of rectangular blocks: an auditorium block and a lower street-front lobby and entrance block, including shops. The theatre retains its original configuration of lobby, foyer, lounges, and auditorium. Many original interior finishes, including painted murals, remain intact, with the exception of the original seating. It was designed by the firm of the world-renowned "Dean of American Theatre Architects," John Eberson.
In 1983 it re-opened as the "Bethesda Cinima and Drafthouse" showing movies on a single screen and serving food and beer. In 1990 it changed its name to the "Bethesda Theatre Cafe". In 2007 it underwent a major renovation and became a venue for theatrical productions. Currently it is owned by the Bethesda Cultural Alliance but is set to be auctioned off on June 29, 2010.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Famous quotes containing the word theatre:
“The theatre is supremely fitted to say: “Behold! These things are.” Yet most dramatists employ it to say: “This moral truth can be learned from beholding this action.””
—Thornton Wilder (1897–1975)