When was the last time you went to a movie theater? The last time you sat in the luxurious plush, velvet seats munching on buttery popcorn and sipping on a refreshing Coke slushie?
According to the Washington Post, the answer is clear: the movie industry has seen record-low attendance, experiencing a 16% decrease in ticket sales from 2017 to 2023. Consequently, the box office has experienced a shocking blow to its revenue, with the movie industry seeing a 13.5% decrease in profit over the past five years.
COVID-19 only emphasized the struggles of the declining industry, with revenue losses shooting upwards of 80% from 2019 to 2020. As film production halted, more films went straight to streaming services, and movie theaters shut their doors to the public, the future of the industry seemed grim.
While most movie theaters struggled to adapt to an online-media-dominant society, one small family took advantage of the changing industry to open an innovative and charming local theater: Mamaroneck Cinemas.
Mamaroneck Cinemas opened its doors on June 7, 2022, but the building’s roots have resided in Mamaroneck for nearly a century. The building, located on Mamaroneck Avenue, opened as The Playhouse Theatre on December 5, 1925. After undergoing numerous ownership changes and renovations, the theater ultimately closed in 2014. The facade lay empty and deteriorating for several years until the Elgart family purchased it in 2020, hoping to turn it into a unique theater that community members of all demographics could enjoy.
“We wanted to create a truly community-centered movie-going experience,” stated Noah Elgart, general manager of Mamaroneck Cinemas. When the Elgarts purchased the theater in 2020, they planned to create this community-centric experience by undertaking extensive renovations to the old playhouse. However, the family’s plans were thwarted when the pandemic halted production for over two years. According to Elgart, who was eager to get the theater up and running, waiting to renovate was a struggle because “the theater has been shuttered for so long, so any longer felt like pain.” When they finally could rehabilitate the space, Elgart focused on “uncovering as many original architectural features as possible” and “exposing the building’s natural beauty,” hoping to preserve its original history and charm. He also mentioned how “wild” it was to “uncover like all the renovations from previous people,” saying this experience was like getting to see the space’s “past lives.”
When the theater finally opened to the public, it was immediately embraced by the community, with Elgard stating how the cinema had “immediate success” due to community members feeling like they had “discovered something new.” The space offered eight state-of-the-art theaters, refreshments, and a magnificent space coated in history. Not only were these features quickly adopted by the community, but many began to recognize the value of an independent theater. Elgart notes how special it is that the theater can “craft themselves for the community” instead of being bound by “company obligations [or a] big franchise.” This nonalignment allows the theater to “act by the pulse of the neighborhood,” said Elgart. The family pays close attention to the community, with Elgart stating their true goal is to “help neighborhood people [and] businesses” as a “welcoming, timeless space.”
Per Elgart’s vision, many Mamaroneck High School students have found refuge in Mamaroneck Cinemas by enjoying a fun night out with their friends, seeing a new movie in an engaging setting, finding employment opportunities, or developing their love for cinema. With the nearest movie theater to Mamaroneck being New Roc Theaters in New Rochelle, Mamaroneck Cinemas filled a much-needed niche in our community by providing a convenient and entertaining alternative to other Westchester-based options.
However, the new cinema is not free of competition; as new films are increasingly released online, movie theaters like Mamaroneck Cinemas face challenges in staying relevant and engaging with the younger generation. Before streaming services, the only way that Americans could see new films was in the movie theater. However, now that services like Netflix, HBO, and Disney+ have dominated the market, people can see new movies without the hassle of going to the movie theater. In a survey by The Globe, 99% of students have access to at least one streaming service, posing considerable competition to Mamaroneck Cinemas.
Despite the convenience of watching a new movie through streaming services instead of in a movie theater, Elgart insists that the cinema is a “valuable” and “transformational” experience that should not be discounted in the wake of an increasingly media-centered world. “Going to the cinema is like…seeing the world through someone else’s eyes,” he says, noting that the industry “will never go away.” Mamaroneck High School junior Max Szuchman agrees, fondly remembering the many hours he and his friends have spent at Mamaroneck Cinemas. “It’s just such a great place to have,” Szuchman reflects, noting how many high schoolers will make a night out of a trip to the cinema, having dinner at a local restaurant before going to an evening movie and bumping into his fellow students. Szuchman is not alone in his appreciation for the theater, with 70% of students reporting that they would rather watch a new movie in the theater than at home. Akari Funakoshi (‘24), one of the many MHS students employed at the theater, sees her peers frequenting the establishment. Funakoshi believes that many students understand how special it is to be able “to watch these films on the big screen” instead of at home on streaming services.
Noting the abundance of support in the community, Elgart believes that “the cinema going experience is valued in the neighborhood” and that people are excited about going to the theater. He is confident that the theater’s approach in “understanding [their] audience more and catering to them in different ways” will help Mamaroneck Cinemas stand out and become a community staple. Elgart hopes that the cinema will continue to prosper and bring people together through a shared love of film.
