Photography by Corrie Aune
Great news for film fans: Oak Cliff’s only movie theater, Texas Theatre, has added a second screen upstairs. Not only will this almost double the number of showtimes and features the theater can show, but it will also enhance special events with a second bar and VIP balcony for annual events like the Oak Cliff Film Festival.
With the recent renovations, capacity for the main room is now 675, with the upstairs cinema seating 165. Barak Epstein, the president of Aviation Cinema, says the new additions could provide 10-20 screenings a week between the two auditoriums. Additionally, the stage lighting in the main auditorium has also been upgraded.
Epstein has been with Aviation Cinema, the group that owns the Texas Theatre, since day one. He says the creative team has been thinking about adding a second theater since taking over the building in 2010.
“We essentially started planning the renovation back in 2015, but it took until COVID hit in 2020 to realize we could use the forced downtime to do this major expansion,” he says.
While the theater was closed for months during the economic shutdown, Aviation Cinemas never stopped planning theater improvements.
“2020 was obviously a tough time for all businesses everywhere,” Epstein says. “We had to update our plans quickly and thoroughly to make use of the unplanned downtime so we could come back 150% once the pandemic started to subside.”
Renovations for the second screen cost around $2 million. Aviation Cinemas was able to secure funds through the theater’s bank and tax credits stemming from the venue’s historic status.
“It’s huge to funding on a project like ours. We can get up to 25% back from the state on our total project spend as a rebate,” he says.
The theater’s second bar is under construction, but Epstein says plans don’t stop there. They have also added a VIP balcony for the main room. Epstein said it allowed for enough space to install a new 4K laser RGB projector as well as a 25-person row of seats. The upstairs cinema is fully compliant with the Americans With Disabilities Act and includes a chair lift, elevator and hearing- and visual-impaired devices for those who need it.
“The original balcony sat something like 1,000 people 90 years ago, so it was built structurally, super strong,” he says. “The main thing added was the soundproof wall to seperate the two rooms. Also, part of the renovation included uncovering parts of the theater that haven’t been seen in 40 plus years, like the fountain tile you’ll see when you enter the new upstairs cinema. Also, the floor tile in both upstairs restroom lounges. Plus, we now let people use the original 1931 balcony stairwell to get to both the new cinema and the VIP row for the downstairs cinema. Part of that restoration included restoring some original plaster ornamental design work.”
The beautification process of the theater is one thing Epstein considers an ongoing process and should add to the legacy of the theater as it serves the Oak Cliff community. What’s next? Epstein says the idea to purchase a second theater is not far off and to keep an eye on the Fine Arts Theater in Denton.
“I’m hoping the improvements create long-term sustainability for the building, as well as some pride in being able to show off ‘the whole building’ and even more of its historic features,” he says.
