Canna Theatre

110 E. Chestnut Street,
Gillespie, IL 62033

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Eisentraut Theatres, Frisina Amusement Company

Previous Names: Pert Theatre, New Pert Theatre, Lyric Theatre

Nearby Theaters

Pert Theatre, Gillespie, IL, 1922

First opened in October 1921 as the Pert Theatre. On June 6, 1928 it reopened as the New Pert Theatre with a seating capacity of 603. From September 1930 it was remodeled by the Frisnia Amusement Co. and was known as the Lyric Theatre.

Frisnia closed the Lyric Theatre in 1953 and it remained dark until it re-opened as the Canna Theatre on October 18, 1956 with Joan Crawford in “Autumn Leaves”. It was then operated by the Canna Anna civic organisation.

In recent years it reverted back to the name Lyric Theatre. The theatre was donated to the city of Gillespie in 2003 and has been renovated for use as a concert hall.

In 2007 it was leased by a new management and the name reverted back to Canna Theatre, screening first-run movies. Seating capacity was given as 252. Opening on May 18, 2007 with “Shrek the Third” it had closed by 2016. It was purchased by the Assembly of God Church of Illinois in 2017 who planned renovations and with plans to reopen summer of 2017 screening family movies. This never happened.

Contributed by Bryan, Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 13 comments)

richgamer
richgamer on August 29, 2006 at 4:47 pm

If threefarmers could please contact this website again or email me at i would greatly appreciate it. I am a member of the Lyric players the group that runs the Theatre.

Ken Roe
Ken Roe on August 29, 2006 at 5:40 pm

The seating capacity for the Lyric Theatre in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook is given as 603.

Cary41
Cary41 on December 17, 2007 at 4:05 pm

The Eisentraut family of Hillsboro has leased the theatre from the city of Gillespie and it is once again showing movies on the big screen under the name “Canna”. Upgrades to the theatre include leather couch seating, a new sound system, new carpet, tuxedo dressed staff that make personal introductions to every feature. The theatre recently had it’s first sold-out show under new ownership with Alvin and the Chipmunks.

paulnelson
paulnelson on November 18, 2014 at 1:55 am

Handsome marquee and entrance. Art moderne look. Cheers to all who run this place.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on March 29, 2015 at 11:23 pm

The 1928 opening of this house as the New Pert Theatre was a re-opening. The April 8, 1922, issue of The Moving Picture World said that the Pert Theatre in Gillespie, Illinois, had opened the previous October. There is a photo (which I have also uploaded to the photo page,) and it shows the same building the Canna Theatre occupies now.

Trolleyguy
Trolleyguy on May 18, 2016 at 4:47 pm

Status should be closed. Facebook page indicates now permanently closed.

nnelson75
nnelson75 on April 24, 2017 at 11:32 pm

We are the owners of Canna Theatre and it’s actually being restored. The theatre is a joint effort of being a church and a community theatre. Through the last year we have added and replaced the previous flooring to now have 1/8 inch slope flooring, for easier viewing. We have added seating to facilitate capacity of 185. Removed old heating, and installed new heating. We also through licensing with the motion pictures industry will be showing 3 family movies this summer and will be expanding on how well the community takes hold of this project. The hold up for us is the digital projector for dci equipment like most rural small communities. We also have a great relationship with the previous owners once that comes in play, I believe it will be running as a normal capacity theatre. In the mean time until that happens we will continue to restore and make it better for the community, just wanted to give you all a little update.

MichaelKilgore
MichaelKilgore on January 14, 2020 at 5:03 pm

Boxoffice, Sept. 8, 1956: “GILLESPIE, ILL. – Louis Odorizzi of Staunton, Ill., who owns and operates the Sunset Drive-In on Highway 66 near Mount Olive, Ill., has leased the old Lyric Theatre here and is readying it for reopening in the next 60 days. … Odorizzi plans to reopen the house with a new name, the Canna Theatre.”

William L. Coale, Ph.D.
William L. Coale, Ph.D. on February 11, 2022 at 9:28 pm

Actually, by March 10, 1927 a movie ad lists it as the “New Pert” I’ve uploaded a scan of the ad.

Bruce C.
Bruce C. on November 24, 2022 at 12:08 am

Here’s a February 2022 article on the Canna Theatre: Gillespie City Council rejects Canna Theater offer.

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