Community Theatre

373 Main Street,
Catskill, NY 12414

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Related Websites

Community Theatre - Catskill (Official), Heart of Catskill Association -- Community Theater

Additional Info

Previously operated by: Brandt Theaters, Fabian Theaters

Phone Numbers: Box Office: 518.943.2410

Nearby Theaters

Community Theatre, Catskill, NY

Built on the site of the Nelida Theatre which was destroyed by fire on January 1, 1918. The Community Theatre was opened in 1920 as a vaudeville theatre. Later movies were introduced and by 1941 it was operating as a movie theatre.

In 1976, the auditorium was twinned by dividing off the balcony. It plays first run movies, and is equipped with digital projection and is 3D capable. It has been closed since March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Contributed by Lost Memory

Recent comments (view all 15 comments)

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on January 14, 2009 at 9:21 pm

This is from Boxoffice magazine, January 1960:

Continuing his theater expansion, Paul Marcelli, who served as a projectionist at the Leeds Drive-In in 1958, took over the Communnity in Catskill. He previously acquired the Leeds, then the Vanderbilt in Greenville, the latter from Mrs. Harry Lemont. Marcelli reportedly did good opening business at the Community with “A Summer Place”. That 1200-seater was under the management of Brandt Theaters for about nine years.

MPol
MPol on January 14, 2009 at 10:23 pm

Btw, Lost Memory, the link for the above-mentioned theatre doesn’t seem to work.

kencmcintyre
kencmcintyre on January 14, 2009 at 10:55 pm

The new link from 7/16 works fine. As he pointed out, the link in the related sites is defunct.

thecommunitytheatre
thecommunitytheatre on November 10, 2012 at 9:29 pm

Hello all! If you would like to know anything more about our theatre, please feel free to contact us using any of the following methods:

Voicemail for showtimes: (518) 943-2410

E-mail address:

Website: http://www.thecommunitytheatre.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thecommunitytheatre

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/catskilltheatre

Our theatre is alive and well, and has seen many recent improvements since changing hands in 2005, including:

– The installation of new digital equipment & surround sound

– Installation of a credit & debit card system

– Brand new carpeting throughout the entire theatre

– A brand new letterboard and new neon for our marquee (following two accidents that left us with a damaged marquee and destroyed letterboard)

– Roof & ceiling work

  • New heat & a/c upstairs

– New paint in various areas, and more!

robboehm
robboehm on November 28, 2014 at 9:16 pm

Above comment says Community was built after the theater down the street burnt down. However, the Community is the only theater listed in Catskill on Cinema Treasures. More info so some research can be done. Or somebody create the site.

RobertCrane
RobertCrane on April 30, 2015 at 1:20 pm

Ironically, The person walking toward the theater in the picture is Dominic Cornelius, whose father of the same name worked at and ultimately managed the Community from 1935-1960

robboehm
robboehm on May 8, 2015 at 10:05 am

In 1976 there was also a fire which destroyed the lobby. Unclear whether the twinning also occurred at the same time.

Photos of the downstairs auditorium and the staircase to the balcony level uploaded.

robboehm
robboehm on May 27, 2015 at 1:23 pm

My research indicates the Community was built on the site of the former Nelida Theater which was destroyed by fire, along with a half dozen other buildings, on January 1, 1918. Only a portion of the value of the Nelida was covered by insurance so subscriptions were sought to aid in the rebuilding. Probably inspiration for the name Community.

Joe Vogel
Joe Vogel on September 30, 2021 at 1:02 am

The October 2, 1948 issue of Boxoffice noted that the Community Theatre in Catskill was then being operated by the Fabian circuit.

Moviefan333
Moviefan333 on February 11, 2023 at 10:57 am

The theater has been closed since March 2020 they have not reopened. Only a few movie screenings from another organization upstate films showed a few movies during Halloween time. There’s now works in the process to get a grant to reopen the theater

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