Publick Playhouse
5445 Landover Road,
Cheverly,
MD
20784
5445 Landover Road,
Cheverly,
MD
20784
1 person
favorited this theater
The Cheverly Theatre opened in 1947, in late Streamline Moderne style. It was designed by the firm of John & Drew Eberson. The Cheverly Theatre was plush and elegant, and its auditorium included a painted “sky” on its ceiling, following the tradition of Eberson’s Atmospheric style palaces of the 1920’s.
Into the 1960’s, the Cheverly Theatre remained a popular cinematic destination, but eventually fell into decline and closed. In 1975, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission was able to acquire the Cheverly and began a restoration of the former movie house. It reopened thirty years to the day that the Cheverly had its first grand opening in 1947, now serving as a venue for performing arts, legitimate theater, concerts, dance and community events.
Now called the Prince George’s Publick Playhouse for the Performing Arts, or simply the Publick Playhouse, the theater is today one of the most popular performing arts venues in the region.
Contributed by
Bryan Krefft
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater
Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
A vintage photo of the cheverly is available on Library Congress, as “Griffith Consumers Co. Exterior of Cheverly Theater."
View link
Looks pretty much the same, except the box office window looks absent. I wonder why they changed the name? Cheverly seems more sensible than “Publick”… it’s certainly not ‘olde tyme’ style in the least.
Color photo of the Public Plays/Cheverly Theatre.
http://www.agilitynut.com/p/pubp1004.jpg
I work in Tuxedo and pass by there every so often. I am glad it was saved.
This is a 2006 photo of the Publick Playhouse.
Photos from April 2008 of the Publick Playhouse/Clever Theatre: 1, 2, 3
Has anyone been inside of this venue recently?
Was the interior restored or maintained as original?
Did the sky painting on the ceiling remain?
1986 photo of the Public Playhouse
View link
Here is a close-up shot from 2008.
Another photo is here.