Photo courtesy of Allen Theater
The feeling of spotting a marquee, snagging a ticket to a show and settling in—snacks in tow—is not, in fact, a thing of the past.
At least not at the Allen Theatre in Annville’s town square, a classic cinema that has seen many iterations over the decades and is now under new ownership.
Michael Cantor, a career magician, recently purchased the theater from Ed and Sue Felty, who owned it for six years after buying it from earlier owners Skip and Martha Hicks (and the history of ownership goes back even further).
The Allen Theatre and its newly accompanying Salamander Bookstore Cafe are the site for modern classic showings that eclipse the generational divide as well as arthouse films and live performances, ranging from live music to, naturally, magic.
For the most part, the classic elements of the theater remain stable, aside from the fact that the cafe’s focus is now more on music, books, beverages and quick bites, rather than full meals.
On the film front, Cantor appreciates “that whole art aspect of cinema, going through the directors and the writers rather than just the hype and the stars.”
Whether it’s family-friendly movies like “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” and “Goonies” or more artistic films like “Wings of Desire” and “Sante Sandre,” the goal remains the same—make it more than “a good candy bar experience,” as Cantor put it, and incite discussion after the screen fades to black.
Before moving to the area with his family just before the pandemic, Cantor spent decades in Baltimore, where he mingled with creatives of all kinds and relished in healthy discussion with other community members. This is something he wants to bring to the theater and bookstore cafe.
“That’s what makes us American,” he said, noting that even politics and religion are topics that enable people to learn and grow among their peers—and shying away from them isn’t helpful.
Looking ahead, the theater anticipates performances from renowned sword swallower Dai Andrews, Led Zeppelin tribute band The Flying Circus, and comedian Earl David Reed. Guests can attend “One-Eyed Wednesdays”—films followed by discussion—and even join in on yoga each Monday. Storytelling events with themes, private screenings and stage visits from Cantor (aka “The Wizard of the East”) also make up the forthcoming calendar. Cantor has performed his magic for universities across the east as well as organizations like the FBI and Celebrity Cruises.
Then there are the open mics and other goings-on that Cantor hopes will take place in the bookstore cafe, where he anticipates that a “Venn diagram intersection of creative people” will congregate.
All of this represents only the latest in the Allen Theatre’s long history, which was founded in the 1920s as the Hippodrome and transformed two decades later into the Astor. It went downhill for most of the century’s remaining years until the 1990s, when Skip and Martha Hicks purchased it and turned it into a community gathering place. Now, it’s time for Cantor to continue—and further—those efforts.
Friends of Old Annville will continue leasing their digital projector to the theater for $1 per year. They purchased the projector in 2015 for around $70,000 after a big fundraising campaign to help keep the institution alive.
“We did so because we saw then, as we see now, that the Allen is a regional landmark that ranks high among the most important businesses in downtown Annville and the most prominent of Lebanon County’s cultural sites,” said Michael Schroeder, president of Friends of Old Annville, who noted that the theater is Lebanon County’s last remaining single-screen movie theater.
Earlier this year, Schroeder went to see the 1957 Swedish historical fantasy “The Seventh Seal” with friends and family. That visit affirmed the Friends’ decision and effort to help keep the theater going.
“Waiting for the film to start, I was struck, once again, by the elegance and intimacy of the theater’s art deco interior,” he said.
The Allen Theatre is located at 36 E. Main St., Annville and is open during event times. The connected Salamander Bookstore Cafe is open Tuesdays to Saturdays. For more information, visit www.allentheatre.com.
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