Russell Theatre

50sSNIPES on March 28, 2026 at 7:20 am

The Russell Theatre launched in August 1938 by manager James Guilfoil, and originally housed 425 seats. The theater did receive expansion the following year in 1939. Unfortunately the Russell did receive a long closure from the mid-1960s until the mid-1970s, when David Leonard assumed ownership, remodeled the theater, and added much needed upgrades before officially reopening on March 24, 1978.

The remodeling and upgrades dropped the capacity of seating to 300 seats but added much more comfortable seating and space between aisles, that had brand new carpet. This did not last long, and closed around 1983. The theater reopened in 1986 for a brief period as the Teen Rocker, a club for teens that had music and dancing, live music and guest DJs. This endeavor was short lived, and the Russell once again closed in 1987 and sat abandoned for four years.

Jerry Hale rented and upgraded the theatre and reopened in August 1991. The equipment was not compatible with new upgrades to the movie industry and was upgraded. The screen was too small for the new movie formats so they expanded the screen so that the films would fit. The compacity had again shrunk and now seated 250, admission was three dollars and fifty cents for adults and two dollars for children, popcorn was one dollar a box. It remained a struggle not having a lot of support and most of the revenues going to the motion picture company. Live shows with local bands were also tried in order to get folks in the theatre, but to no avail. The theatre once again closed again in 1996, and sat abandoned for years again.

On November 18, 2019, the building and property were purchased by the Town of Lebanon. As part of the Downtown Revitalization effort where the town removed slum and blight, upgraded business facades, and upgraded its streetscapes, The Russell Theatre was a major part of that effort. Setting in an “eyesore” state, the theatre building was part of the slum & blight reported in the downtown area and almost looked beyond repair. Construction renovation began at the end of December 2020 and continued through 2021, 2022, and September 2023. Most notable to the outside of the theatre is the upgraded Marquee. It was decided to go with more of the original “historic” look and making it larger as well, with more of a Three-Dimensional look to the lettering and taking the marquee almost to the top of the building. The color scheme is hunter green with yellow blub lighting also much like the original colors. The original ticket booth and style doors with original hardware remain. The new marquee and show boxes are all digital. Inside is where you will find most of the changes have occurred. The stage is now three times larger than the original, equipped with all the electrical and sound equipment hook-ups in the floor in order to accommodate all live shows. A new motorized large projector screen can be dropped down out of the ceiling for watching movies. The original brick walls were uncovered during demolition and kept with newly added sconce lighting and artistic sound panels. All new comfort seating and middle aisle carpeting with neon lighting have been added. The balcony has been extended and contains that same seating. All equipment, sound, lighting, and video are the latest state-of-the-art equipment on the market. The lobby has black and white checkered tile flooring, with updated restrooms and a small concession area. The Russell Theatre now housed 181 seats, with 140 seats in the main level and 41 in the balcony.

On September 23, 2023, the Russell Theatre reopened its doors after being closed for almost 30 years, showing a mix of first-run movies, live events, and events for both the community and the regional.

• Status should be open and showing movies.