Modern Theatre
525 Washington Street,
Boston,
MA
02111
525 Washington Street,
Boston,
MA
02111
1 person
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Suffolk University’s Modern Theatre stands on the site of the previous Modern Theatre, which already has its own page on Cinema Treasures. Suffolk dismantled the old theatre’s facade, demolished the old theatre, then re-assembled the facade onto the front of its new theatre.
The new Modern Theatre opened on November 4, 2010. It will present live stage theatre, lectures, and movies.
Contributed by
Ron Newman
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Recent comments (view all 13 comments)
And WBUR’s coverage is here, including a nice shot of the interior and its stage curtain.
Today I was able to go upstairs to the balcony. There are two raked rows of 14 seats each, plus 4 movable chairs behind the back row, and nine movable chairs on each of the right and left side overhangs, for a total of 50 seats.
They told me that the flat orchestra-level floor can be converted to several rows of raked seating, but I don’t know how many rows, or how many seats in each row.
Restored Modern Theater Finally Opens Its Doors, an article in Suffolk University’s student newspaper.
“As one enters the actual theater they see a limited number of seats in front of the stage, but this is actually one of the unique designs of the Modern where there are actually five different arrangements in the theater that will change depending on the performance being held. Each time you enter the theater you will never know what arrangement you will get, but in all instances you will be face to face with the talented actors on stage.”
The architect firm which did the design work on the new building is CBT of Boston. I also attended the Open House on Fri Nov 5; there certainly were far more people present than at the Open House in Sept at the nearby Paramount Center, an event which seemed to be Top Secret. I was told that there were about 5 different modes for the auditorium. When I was there it was in conference/banquet mode, with a flat floor which was even with the stage floor. However, the floor can be raked so that its front is below the apron of the stage. The balcony has 2 rows of seating, with side slips which each have one row. The side slips are supported by a column at the stage-end. At the rear of the balcony, not centered, is a glassed-in control booth for lighting, and I presume for sound. They don’t really need sound amplification in such a tiny space. There is a rectangular proscenium arch, and an attempt to decorate in the style of the old Modern. I liked this little theater.
The new Modern has a foyer which is much larger than the tiny vestibule in the old Modern. The foyer doubles as an exhibit gallery. One neat feature is that there is a walkway in the arch of the facade. The arch is filled with glass. You can walk up there from the foyer and stand right in the arch looking down at Washington Street. It’s a clever idea. The foyer is bright and airy. On the walls are some old decorative elements from the first Modern Theatre with little labels describing them. Plus a few old photos.
Today’s Boston Herald has a feature article about new arts facilities in Boston. It says that the Modern Th. project cost a total of $42M. That would include design work, demolition, construction and fitting out. Above the theater are several floors of dorm rooms for Suffolk Univ. students. That’s the reason that the ceiling in the new theater is much lower than that of the original Modern. The entrance to the dorm floors is through a Suffolk Univ. building on West Street to the north of the site.
Today’s Boston Herald has a feature article about new arts facilities in Boston. It says that the Modern Th. project cost a total of $42M. That would include design work, demolition, construction and fitting out. Above the theater are several floors of dorm rooms for Suffolk Univ. students. That’s the reason that the ceiling in the new theater is much lower than that of the original Modern. The entrance to the dorm floors is through a Suffolk Univ. building on West Street to the north of the site.
In this week’s Boston Phoenix: Washington Street’s smallest theater reopens
Movie screenings at the new Modern Theatre begin next month. A full list is here:
Feb. 2-4: Michael Cimino Retrospective: Heaven’s Gate, Deer Hunter, Year of the Dragon
Feb. 8: Russian shorts
Feb. 14-17: Dennis Lehane Retrospective: Gone Baby Gone, Mystic River, Shutter Island
Feb. 24: Vlada Petric’s The Wall of Memories
The Modern is showing The Jazz Singer (original 1929 version) on October 18th at 7 pm. Tickets are $5 or free if you’re a Suffolk student or contributor. I assume it will be a digital projection.