St. Petersburg Beach Theatre To Seek Non-Profit Status

By Frances Brennan

Mike France, long time owner of St. Petersburg's Beach Theatre, recently made the following announcement on the Beach Theatre Website, www.beachtheatre.com. that began: "Help Save The Beach Theatre!"

"For four years now, it’s been my privilege to own and run one of St. Pete Beach’s main landmarks, the Beach Theatre. For over 70 years, this has been a community gathering place to enjoy movies and music together.

When I took it over, I wanted to present the most diverse, eclectic programming possible: operas, free kids’ shows, classic films, cult movies, live music, indie films, charity benefits, and the occasional blockbuster.

Here’s the bad news: circumstances have arisen that will likely force me into closing the theatre and putting it up for sale. I really, really don’t want to do this. After 70 years, I don’t want to be the guy who turns out the lights on the Beach Theatre.

Here’s the good news: there’s a way to save the Beach Theatre. There’s a way to keep it going and even make it stronger. And you can help.

To keep the Beach Theatre open, I am making the transition to take it into “non-profit” status. I know this sounds counterintuitive -- that it sounds like there’d be less money for operations, not more. The fact is, non-profit status will bring many new opportunities for fundraising to keep the doors open, to fund repairs. It will make it easier for us to keep our diversity of programming and even expand it. Most single screen historic theatres in the country are already run as non-profits (like the Tampa Theatre) -- it’s time for the Beach Theatre to join that club.

Over the last four years, many of you in the community have approached me and offered to donate money to the theatre, or to volunteer services to help us stay alive. I would ask all of you now to come together as the Beach Theatre makes this transition, which take us a few weeks, if not months..

Watch this website (www.savethebeachtheatre.org) for more information as this develops in the weeks to come.. Join our email list. Check for information at the theatre lobby. Email us at savethebeachtheatrenow@gmail.com.

Let’s all save the Beach Theatre together. Sincerely, Mike France"

The Beach Theatre, located at 315 Corey Avenue on St. Petersburg Beach, is the sole Tampa Bay venue for many of today's most original and artistically regarded films It also shows many great music films, and is frequently the site of fundraisers for Community Radio Station, WMNF, 88.5. On April 29, the theatre hosted a WMNF Benefit with two showings of the film, "Phil Ochs, There But For Fortune." The Beach Theatre shows the Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday at 11:30 pm with live cast Interchangeable Parts and has also presented several showings of Repo: The Genetic Opera with Paul Sorvino, Paris Hilton and Nivek Ogre of Skinny puppy with live cast.

For show times and to learn more about the Beach Theatre, visit www.beachtheatre.com .