Carolina Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Carolina Theatre of Durham is a theater in downtown Durham, North Carolina
. The city owns the facility and it operates under the stewardship of a nonprofit organization
named The Carolina Theatre of Durham, Incorporated.
years and soldiers from Camp Butner
were bused to the theater to watch movies. In 1977, the North Carolina Department of Archives and History completed a historic survey of Downtown Durham and recognized The Carolina Theatre as a "significant building in the city" and the center portion of downtown was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
The Carolina Theatre remains the last of thirteen original theaters in the city. The most recent renovation of the theater was in 2007, which included roof repairs, restroom improvements, and electrical work. It was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by the Washington, D.C.
architectural firm of Milburn & Heister. This facility is not to be confused with the Carolina Theatre of Chapel Hill
, which announced its closing in 2005.
The main stage, called Fletcher Hall, seats 1,014 and has two balconies. There are two cinema
screens upstairs, built in 1992, which seat 276 and 76.
Receptions may be held at the Kirby Lobby (the area immediately in front of Fletcher Hall, facing the entrance from the street), the Connie Moses Ballroom (directly above Kirby Lobby, with access to the lower portion of the balcony), and/or the Upper Balcony Lobby (directly above the Connie Moses Ballroom, with access to the upper portion of the balcony).
Recurring events featured at the Carolina Theatre include the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
, the Retrofantasma film series, the Escapism Film Festival, the Nevermore film festival, and the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
.
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
. The city owns the facility and it operates under the stewardship of a nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
named The Carolina Theatre of Durham, Incorporated.
History
In 1923, the city of Durham chose to construct an auditorium on a lot adjacent to Morris Street School. Bids for construction were accepted on May 1, 1925 and the budget was set at $250,000. The building was completed in 1926 and opened on February 2 of that year with the Kiwanis Jollies. The Carolina Theatre was the first theater in Durham to admit African-Americans, although there were still segregated ticket lines and lounge areas until the summer of 1963. The theater's popularity rose during the World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
years and soldiers from Camp Butner
Camp Butner
Camp Butner was a United States Army installation in Butner, North Carolina during World War II. It was named after Army General Henry W. Butner....
were bused to the theater to watch movies. In 1977, the North Carolina Department of Archives and History completed a historic survey of Downtown Durham and recognized The Carolina Theatre as a "significant building in the city" and the center portion of downtown was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
The Carolina Theatre remains the last of thirteen original theaters in the city. The most recent renovation of the theater was in 2007, which included roof repairs, restroom improvements, and electrical work. It was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
architectural firm of Milburn & Heister. This facility is not to be confused with the Carolina Theatre of Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
, which announced its closing in 2005.
The main stage, called Fletcher Hall, seats 1,014 and has two balconies. There are two cinema
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
screens upstairs, built in 1992, which seat 276 and 76.
Receptions may be held at the Kirby Lobby (the area immediately in front of Fletcher Hall, facing the entrance from the street), the Connie Moses Ballroom (directly above Kirby Lobby, with access to the lower portion of the balcony), and/or the Upper Balcony Lobby (directly above the Connie Moses Ballroom, with access to the upper portion of the balcony).
Recurring events featured at the Carolina Theatre include the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is an annual international event dedicated to the theatrical exhibition of non-fiction cinema. Each spring Full Frame welcomes filmmakers and film lovers from around the world to historic downtown Durham, North Carolina for a four-day, morning to midnight...
, the Retrofantasma film series, the Escapism Film Festival, the Nevermore film festival, and the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
The North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Festival, produced by the Carolina Theater in Durham, North Carolina, is the second largest GLBT film/video festival in the Southeastern U.S...
.