Normal Theater Manager: “It was great to have people back”

Posted on October 5, 2020
The historic theater is only allowing 50 guests per showing. (Photo courtesy: WJBC)

By Blake Haas

NORMAL – After being shuttered since March due to COVID-19, the historic uptown theater reopened to the public last week, and the theater’s manager says he’s relieved to have the doors open.

Speaking with WJBC’s Marc Strauss, Normal Theater Manager Adam Fox said while the theater is still not serving concessions, it was great to have people back watching movies.

“We’ve had this beautiful space that the town has owned and operated since 1994. Restored because we know it is this real gem in the community that no one wanted to lose. And to have it sit empty for as long as it was, it felt wrong…Of course, it’s what we had to do, of course, it’s what everybody was doing, but obviously, it added to that whole tapestry of things that just felt off about the world around us.

“So there was a sense of relief and release I believe in having the theater back open. But that was largely because of the fact that we did it in a way that was completely safe.”

Fox added that patrons must wear a face mask through the entire showing, and the theater is only selling 50 tickets per show.

LISTEN: Normal Theater Manager Adam Fox spoke with WJBC’s Marc Strauss about the theaters reopening. 

Additionally, the theater will only show one movie per night to allow the staff to sanitize the theater in between showings.

Blake Haas can be reached at [email protected].

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