Canna Theatre
110 E. Chestnut Street,
Gillespie,
IL
62033
110 E. Chestnut Street,
Gillespie,
IL
62033
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 13 comments
Here’s a February 2022 article on the Canna Theatre: Gillespie City Council rejects Canna Theater offer.
Actually, by March 10, 1927 a movie ad lists it as the “New Pert” I’ve uploaded a scan of the ad.
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.”
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.
Status should be closed. Facebook page indicates now permanently closed.
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.
Handsome marquee and entrance. Art moderne look. Cheers to all who run this place.
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.
The seating capacity for the Lyric Theatre in the 1950 edition of Film Daily Yearbook is given as 603.
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.
I’m from Gillespie and I have a photo of the theater back in the ‘40s when the old Gillespie city hall sat on the corner. The photo is actually of the city hall, but you can see the Lyric three doors down.
I’ve never known there to be a punk show or any other concert at this location. If it happens, it’s extremely rare.
Today it is used for community theater and the high shool will put on a musical there occasionally.
Now a venue for punk rock music. Capacity is listed as 252 people.
http://www.stlpunk.com/venue.asp?venueID=1255
Listed in Film Daily Yearbok’s that I have (1941-1950) as the Lyric Theatre.