Since first opening its doors in 1914, The Cinema Theater
(957 South Clinton Avenue) has become one of the oldest continuously-operated
motion picture theaters in the United States. With its distinctive pink art
deco facade and cozy, welcoming atmosphere, the Cinema holds a beloved place in
Rochester’s moviegoing landscape.
That unique,
welcoming atmosphere is one Audrey Kramer and husband Alex Chernavsky
hope to see continue as they settle into their new position as owners and
operators of the theater, a role they began on January 5.
“It’s a
scary new adventure, and something that we’ve never done before. But I guess
our love of movies kind of won out,” Kramer says.
As longtime
devotees of both movies and the Cinema Theater itself, this new venture offers
the couple a chance to meld their personal passions together.
Their
relationship with the theater began decades ago, when Chernavsky
would regularly make the drive up from Marion to take in a movie. “Tootsie” was
the first film he remembers seeing at the Cinema, and he recalls falling for
the establishment immediately.
“I was like,
‘wow this place isn’t your typical corporate theater,'” he says. “It really
impressed me, and I just kept coming back.”
Kramer felt
that connection as well, and it’s only grown throughout the years. So ardent is
the couple’s love for the theater that they married there in 2009, holding a
reception that saw guests dressing up as their favorite film characters, while
the Looney Tunes classic “Rabbit of Seville” played on the big screen.
After
working part-time behind the concession stand for the past a year-and-a-half, a
unique opportunity presented itself to Chernavsky
when former manager John Trickey made the decision to
put the theater up for sale. The couple quickly decided the chance was
impossible to pass up. They’ll lease the theater space, while Trickey maintains ownership of the building, Chernavsky says.
In addition
to being avid cinephiles, the pair are enthusiastic
animal lovers. They met while working together at the Lollypop Farm Humane
Society of Greater Rochester, and Kramer has obtained and cared for the
theater’s resident cats for the past several years. Keeping up that
long-standing tradition, the theater will be welcoming two new cats, Bo and Genny — both adopted from Lollypop — who will likely become
familiar faces to Cinema patrons.
Much of the
daily operations of the theater will remain the same, though the couple plan to
introduce vegan options into the menu, partnering with local bakeries whenever
possible. Misfit Bakery is one of the first to come aboard, supplying cookies
for the concession stand. The menu changes will extend even to the choice of
butter for the popcorn (Earth Balance, if you’re curious), though Kramer says
no one’s been able to tell the difference.
“It’s salty,
it’s greasy, and that’s really what people want,” she says with a laugh.
Though the
menu will see some alterations, the theater will continue to offer low-price
double features ($5 and $3 for students and seniors, in addition to $3 weekend
matinees). But Kramer and Chernavsky are adamant that
maintaining the personal connection people expect from the Cinema is what’s
most important to them.
“It’s not
like going to the big movie theaters where you’re just another face,” Kramer
says.
They say
they’d love to see the theater become home to more community events, as well as
a place local filmmakers can host their movie premieres. Chernavsky
adds: “More weddings would be nice too. We definitely want to do more
weddings.”
The Cinema
Theater will have its official grand opening on Friday, February 2, celebrating
with round-the-clock showings of the comedy classic “Groundhog Day” at 3, 5, 7,
and 9 p.m. Free snacks and refreshments will be available, and area animal
rescue groups will be on hand with cats available adoption.
cinemarochester.com.
Coming Attractions:
On Friday, February 2, at 7 p.m. at the Visual Studies
Workshop (31 Prince Street), artist Crystal Z. Campbell will screen her work “Go-Rilla Means War,” an experimental short featuring 35mm
footage salvaged from a now demolished black civil rights theater in Brooklyn.
$5. Free to members. Then on Saturday, February 10, at 2 p.m., VSW will welcome
RCTV General Manager Carvin Eison to present a curated program of films
and videos from the VSW collection exploring the boundaries of creative
expression and experimentation. $5. Free to VSW and RCTV members. 442-8676; vsw.org.
Directed by
local filmmaker Linda Moroney, the documentary “Turn the Page,” will have its country-wide television
premiere on WXXI on Monday, February 5, at 9 p.m. The touching film focuses on
Ontario County Prison’s Storybook Project, a program allowing incarcerated
parents the opportunity to record themselves reading stories to their children.
wxxi.org.
Ousmane Sembène’s 1966 feature “Black Girl” confronts racism and the legacy of
colonialism through the eyes of a young Senegalese woman brought to France to
work as a servant for a wealthy white family. The landmark film will screen as
part of the Black Cinema Series, presented by the Rochester Association of
Black Journalists, at the Little Theatre (240 East Avenue) on Friday, February
23, at 7 p.m. 258-0400; thelittle.org.
This article appears in Jan 31 – Feb 6, 2018.
I disagree with one comment from the new owner. Several friends have gone recently and the first thing they noticed was the taste of the faux butter. I personally loved having the option to ask to have the butter layered. The Cinema was one of very few places that still offered real butter. I may have to smuggle my own in. Anyone can taste the difference between the real thing and a substitute.