The Carolina Theatre is a performing arts and cinema complex in downtown Durham, North Carolina. The facility is operated by a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

named The Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. under a management agreement with the City of Durham, which owns the complex.

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 $250,000 budget was set. The building was completed in 1926 and opened on February 2 of that year with the Kiwanis Jollies. The theater's popularity rose during the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

years and soldiers from

Camp Butner Camp Butner was a United States Army installation in Butner, North Carolina during World War II. It was named after Army general and North Carolina native Henry W. Butner. Part of it was used as a POW camp for German prisoners of war in the Unite ...

were moved 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 National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. The Carolina Theatre remains the last of thirteen original theaters in the city. The most recent renovation of the theater was in 2011, which included plaster repairs, new carpeting, painting, and sound upgrades in Fletcher Hall and the Cinemas.

Design

The Carolina Theatre was designed in the Beaux-Arts style by the

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

architectural firm of

Milburn, Heister & Company Frank Pierce Milburn (December 12, 1868 - September 21, 1926) was a prolific American architect of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His practice was primarily focused on public buildings, particularly courthouses and legislative buildings, ...

. This facility is not to be confused with the Carolina Theatre of

Chapel Hill Chapel Hill or Chapelhill may refer to: Places Antarctica * Chapel Hill (Antarctica) Australia *Chapel Hill, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane *Chapel Hill, South Australia, in the Mount Barker council area Canada * Chapel Hill, Ottawa, a neighbo ...

, which announced its closing in 2005.

Theaters

The main stage, called Fletcher Hall, seats 1,048 and has two balconies. The

cinema Cinema may refer to: Film * Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography * Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image ** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking ...

wing, built in 1992, seats 226 in Cinema 1 and 49 in Cinema 2. The theater includes two elegant function rooms, the Connie Moses Ballroom, which is known for its chandeliers and large windows overlooking the plaza in front of the theater; and the Donor Lounge, located outside the theater's second balcony.

Programming

Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. is the 5th-largest performing arts organization in the

Research Triangle The Research Triangle, or simply The Triangle, are both common nicknames for a metropolitan area in the Piedmont region of North Carolina in the United States, anchored by the cities of Raleigh and Durham and the town of Chapel Hill, home to ...

region of North Carolina, which encompasses

Raleigh Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

, and

. The nonprofit presents nearly 100 concerts and comedy performances per year, more than any major venue in the market, and has been among the smallest venues ranked in Pollstar's Top 100 theatres worldwide since 2012. The theater shows more than 3,000 film screenings annually. It is the producer of the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, one of the largest LGBT film festivals in the Southeastern United States, as well as the Nevermore Film Festival.

Rental Events

The Carolina Theatre hosts numerous arts nonprofits from Durham and the Triangle Region. The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival occupies the theater for four days each April. The Durham Savoyards present a multi-day run of a Gilbert and Sullivan opera each March. Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, the Mallarme Chamber Players, Durham Symphony, and Triangle Youth Ballet are among the other arts organizations that have a history of performances at the Carolina Theatre.

Civil Rights History

In 2014, an exhibit commemorating the Carolina Theatre's role in desegregation in Durham was unveiled to the public. 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.

References

External links

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
{{Authority control Non-profit organizations based in North Carolina Cinemas and movie theaters in North Carolina Music venues in North Carolina Opera houses in North Carolina Theatres in Durham, North Carolina Theatres completed in 1926 Public venues with a theatre organ