For almost as long as the concept of a modern movie theater has existed, Jane Pickens Theater LLC has been drawing filmgoers.
“Someone’s been showing movies there since the [1920s],” said theater owner Kathy Staab. “So, since silent movies, there’s a Newport tradition of coming to that space.”
While this reputation helps bolster the business, the theater’s continued success relies on more than just nostalgia. Amid industry headwinds, management crafts a curated selection of movies, often accompanied by events such as beer or wine tastings, pop-up shops and music performances.
“It’s part of our personality,” Staab said. “We offer an experience, which isn’t always the case of watching a movie at home.”
While the movie industry has had its share of turbulence over the decades – from the proliferation of on-demand streaming services to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic – Staab suspects independent and art house theaters have survived and thrived by leveraging history and specialized programming in their favor.
“There’s always so much negative press about what’s going on in our industry,” Staab said. “But actually, I think indie theaters are probably a bright spot right now.”
This effort fosters an environment that’s both refined and welcoming, Staab says. In the case of Jane Pickens Theater, the City by the Sea’s prevalence as a filming location also provides a competitive edge.
“Any time there’s a movie that’s made in Rhode Island or made in Newport, that’s a big factor,” Staab said. “We always do well with those movies.”
The theater saw a strong showing for the late 2024 release “A Complete Unknown,” for instance, which featured Bob Dylan’s historic 1965 performance at the Newport Folk Festival. The March 2025 release of “Secret Mall Apartment,” a documentary taking place in the Providence Place mall, also drew a lot of attention in Newport.
Even screenings of the 2012 Wes Anderson film “Moonrise Kingdom,” which was filmed in Newport and Jamestown, do well at the Jane Pickens Theater box office, Staab says.
Still, Rhode Island has seen its share of small-cinema closures. Over the years, the Ocean State has lost film landmarks such as Castle Cinema, The Meadowbrook, Cable Car Cinema and the Cranston Drive-In.
These closures stand out to Steven Feinberg, executive director of the R.I. Film & Television Office.
“So many films are now available on streaming,” Feinberg said. “It’s available to them at their fingertips. So that has been one reason for the lack of those independent movie houses that show second-run or classic films.
“For a 470-seat theater, if I get 100 people in there, I’m happy about that,” Feinberg said. “Not everyone gets it, but we just hope that the audience is there for it.”
Several multiplex theaters in and around Rhode Island have also shuttered in the past few years. In January 2024, the Island Cinemas 10 movie theater in Middletown closed, which management attributed to the building’s sale and economic uncertainty in the broader industry.
One year later, Showcase Cinemas Seekonk shuttered following an announcement that Massachusetts-based DeMoulas Super Markets Inc. had purchased the property with plans to build a new Market Basket grocery store.
Showcase Cinemas also terminated its lease at a 16-screen multiplex at Providence Place mall this year. In addition to its regular theaters, the cinema hosts an IMAX theater, which can screen movies in the large 70-millimeter film strip format.
The mall’s movie theater, including the IMAX, will continue under the management of another chain, Apple Cinemas. Apple, which also has a location in Warwick, relaunched the Providence location in November after a brief transitional period.
Some small neighborhood theaters that have long struggled for survival have benefited from an attempt at revival. Following a closure in June 2024, the former Columbus Theater in Providence reopened as the Uptown Theater. Now managed by Cory Brailsford and David Fiorillo, owners of the Comedy Connection and Black Duck Tavern, both in East Providence, the Uptown hosts film screenings, live music and other entertainment events.
The Historic Park Theatre & Event Center in Cranston, also a movie and performance venue, reopened in 2022 after a nearly two-year closure. The theater is operated by Spectacle Live venue management, which also oversees the Jane Pickens Theater.
In 2021, the United Theater in Westerly reopened following a 35-year closure. Now operating as a nonprofit, United hosts three film venues and an auditorium for live performances, alongside event and gallery space.
Feinberg is pleased to see some of the smaller theaters making a comeback, but he remains cautious about their longevity.
But Feinberg is hoping for the best for theaters throughout Rhode Island because of the benefits beyond entertainment and economics.
“[Going to the cinema] is supposed to be a shared experience,” Feinberg said. “These are all supposed to be shared emotional experiences and as immersive as possible, so let’s keep our fingers crossed that the movie experience at the theaters continues and has a long and healthy life.”
