With plush velvet seats, bold 1920s-esque carpeting, art deco light fixtures and one little hidden gargoyle guarding the door, the new John T. Taylor Screening Room brings the elegance and history of the Tampa Theatre to a more intimate venue.

After nearly a century of screenings, the historic movie palace at 711 N Franklin St.
finally expanded next door. The 43-seat screening room – dubbed a microcinema –
opens on June 1 with a series of screenings of The Old Oak from British director Ken
Loach.

The space was named after former Tampa Theatre board member John T. Taylor. The
philanthropist’s gift helped the institution secure the funding needed to bring the
screening room to life. Other funding came from the Hillsborough County Board of
County Commissions, Tampa’s Community Redevelopment Agency and private donors.
On Friday, Taylor joined Mayor Jane Castor, Theatre President and CEO John Bell and
City Councilwoman and CRA board chair Gwen Henderson for a ribbon-cutting
ceremony and preview of the new space.

Taylor, who joined the Theatre board in 2012, said he grew up loving the movies.
“I grew up in Lafayette, Indiana, and I went to a theater there that was the Arc Theater
downtown; 10 years old I’d go there and get 10 cent popcorn and see the serials of
Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Superman, Batman, all that,” Taylor said during Friday’s
opening event. “And this theater was one of the first places that I came to when I came
here in 1996.”

The 1,260-square-foot screening room promises an intimate experience with big sights
and sounds designed by Boston Light & Sound, which installed Tampa Theatre’s digital
projection and audio system in 2013.

“These are the people that Martin Scorsese called when he wanted his own personal
screening built, so if it’s good enough for Marty, we figured it would be good enough for
us,” Bell said in the screening room’s promo video.

The microcinema also features 4K Christie digital projection and 7.1 Dolby Surround
sound. As for aesthetics, the 43 seats are the same chocolate brown with scalloped
backs you sit in next door. From the lobby’s tile and wallpaper to the theater’s carpet are bright and bold colors, patterns and textures that won’t let you forget you’re at Tampa Theatre.

There are also big and small details from original architect John Eberson’s original
Theatre plans combined with modern touches. The small lobby boasts a concession
bar, a spiral staircase up to the projection room and historic Tampa Theatre photos.

“This is a historic day for our historic movie palace. We begin a new chapter in our 98-
year history today…” Bell said. “It’s going to be different, but it’s intimate. It’s gorgeous.
The acoustics, the sight lines, the project, the sound are great. And most importantly, I
think you will agree when you see it that it has Tampa’s DNA all over.”

The small cinema marks a “seismic shift” for Tampa Theatre’s future, Bell said, allowing
for more flexibility, concerts, community events and, of course, movies.

“I have my life enriched by the events that have happened here at the Tampa Theatre
and it’s so wonderful to see that it’s continuing to enrich those lives and in new ways.
So thank you Mr. Taylor for what you have done here. It is amazing,” Castor said.

After the June 1 opening night, there will be more screenings of The Old Oak at the new John T. Taylor Screening Room through the next week.

● 2:15 p.m. and 5 p.m. June 2
● 7 p.m. June 3-6
There are also free open houses this week.
● 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. June 3
● 4-6 p.m. June 4
● 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. June 5
● 4-6 p.m. June 6
● 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. June 7

For more information and tickets, head to TampaTheatre.org.

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