Orinda Theatre

The address should be 2 Orinda Theater Square.

Seating capacity, per posted sign at box office:
1 – 750
2 – 178
3 – 47
Total seats: 975

2009 night photo of the Orinda Theatre.
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Hi Folks:

My understanding is that the hot greasy steam from a popcorn machine could potentialy damage the ceiling murial in the lobby. This is what I was told and it seems to make sense.

This was an EXCELLENT theatre under Renaissance Rialto / Alan Michaan. It’s hard for me to believe anyone would think otherwise.

Mike

The operation of the Orinda Theatre was taken over from Renaissance Rialto on May 8, 2009 by the group currently operating the neighboring Rheem Theatre in Moraga, CA. The new operators let about 80% of the staff go and also locked out the Union Projectionists.

For years RR said they couldn’t pop fresh popcorn at the theatre, and the new operators had a popcorn popper in place within 2 weeks of taking over. RR raised the General Admission ticket price to $10 while their largest and most lovely auditorium still lacks cupholders on the seats to this day. On the flip side, the new operators are just booking the same commerical first run films they have at the Rheem right up the road. I don’t understand why they are doubling up the same films right down the street from eachother, there aren’t that many people there. Its feeling like an election, you know the old guy sucked, but the new guy also sucks, just in different ways. Best of luck to the theatre, the real victim in all of this.

Another photo of the Orinda can be seen here.

The Orinda marquee was briefly seen in a recent episode/montage of “Snapped”.
Utilizing the marquee’s in the various hometown’s of profiled murderesses, seems to be a pattern of “Snapped” producers/editors.
Especially when said theatre’s share the same names as the towns.

A recent night view of the Orinda Theater can be seen here.

This is a recent interior view of the Orinda Theater.

Once more—-Orinda should be listed as a “Triplex” and its seating capacity adjusted to include that of the two additional cinemas.

According to today’s San Francisco Chronicle, in an article about the closing of the Park Theater in Lafayette (also operated by Renaissance Rialto), it mentions that Rialto may give up on the Orinda when its lease is up a year from now. Not good news. (The Park Theater listing on Cinema Treasures has a link to the article.)

Though the Orinda was not physically split in the process of adding the two additional screens, it should probably be considered a “Triplex” and its seating capacity adjusted accordingly.