Chevy Chase residents preserve historic theater

Two majestic mahogany colored doors greet patrons as they enter the lobby of the refurbished Avalon Theatre in historic Chevy Chase. Burgundy painted walls with gold gilded trim give the theater that old-time feel. The cream ceiling features wine-red striping, with two golden painted daisies atop wine-colored circle backdrops.Glass boxes, lined in gold bordering encase posters of current movie attractions. One attraction reads "Public Enemies," starring Johnny Depp. The documentary is based on the life and career of Gertrude Berg, the writer and creator of the popular 1930s family base sitcom, "The Goldbergs." Also playing is "Cold Souls," starring Paul Giamatti. The upcoming attraction is "Julie and Julia," a movie based on the life of chef Julia Childs, starring Meryl Streep.

Through the lobby, the main theater continues with the old time feel. The color scheme of cream, gold, and mahogany with some green added. Deep forest green picks back up at the start of the ceiling, leading into a dome in the middle of the theatre ceiling. The dome is a Sistine chapel-like structure, featuring a bright yellow sun peaking from behind soft pillowy clouds and three angels playing with a reel of film.

Chevy Chase residents love their creation, which gives them a sense of accomplishment in preserving a neighborhood theater, which had fallen on hard times at the beginning of this decade.

"We like the idea of preservation and keeping neat places like the Avalon around," said local resident Dee Cardiff.

The seating and the décor of the Avalon theatre are what make it unique and a superior alternative to commercial theaters. The main theater sports 428 plush seats for guests to sit back and relax, though the seats are not set up in a stadium seating design. The aisles are much wider than those of the commercial cineplexes. The 41-feet-wide and 19-feet-tall screen adds the final touch to the movie-going experience.

According to Avalon moviegoer Susan Linsky, they are the most comfortable seats in an historic theater. Almost all of the cushioned chairs have a gold plaque on the back of them. The plaque carries the name of the person who purchased the seat in a fund-raising drive. Some contributors even named their seats after the late famed actors Doris Day and Rock Hudson.

"Avalon Theatre is the most elegant theater in the District," gushed local supporter Victoria Doran.

Formerly known as the Chevy Chase Theatre, it was once a cornerstone in northwest DC. But falling sales that had doomed many movie theaters in the District threatened its closure, and possible conversion into retail space. But people like Kathryn Oberdorfer, who grew up in DC and went as children to the Avalon in its heyday, refused to let that happen.

They started a non-profit organization, Avalon Theatre Project, in November 2001. With help from foundations, D.C. city government, and many local individuals, the restoration of the theatre got underway in October 2002. It reopened in April of 2003. It's the only non-profit film center in DC, with the next closest one being the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Md.

The Avalon specializes in first-run commercial films, independent and foreign films, documentaries, film festivals, and special programs for families and seniors. Some movies are played for up to six weeks, while others last for only a week or weekend. The patrons dictate what is shown.

There is not much of a difference in the pricing of tickets but the Avalon offers cafe dinning not available at regular commercial theatres. But members of the theater only pay $5 to $6.50 for tickets to showings.

Membership begins at $35 for students and the maximum is $1500 which includes free admission to the Avalon at all times.

The Avalon 2, which in the theater's early days housed the Chevy Chase school of Music and later a ballet studio, now has its own 165 renovated seats and is also used to host movies and private functions.

The theater has received nothing but rave reviews since it's re-opening in April of 2003. Resident Shelley Parr simply said, "The Avalon is the Best.