FREE EVENT:
The Orpheum Theater: A Chatham Landmark
Speaker: Kevin McLain
Where: At the Orpheum Theater
When: Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 – 5:00 PM
Join us for the first Tuesday Talks lecture of the year live at the Orpheum Theater. Our speaker Kevin McLain, the Executive Director of the Orpheum, will give us a tour through the remarkable history of the Theater, one of Main Street’s greatest landmarks. He will walk visitors through its opening, closing, and triumphant return to a vital cultural institution in Chatham.
This lecture will take place on site at the Orpheum Theater.
Reservations are available by clicking HERE. Admission is FREE for all, but spots are limited, so please register.
About Kevin McClain:
In 2013 after 15 years as Director of Technical and Creative Services for Chatham Bars Inn, he became the Executive Director of the newly restored Chatham Orpheum Theater. Over the last 12 ½ years he has turned the historic theater, built in 1916 into one of the top independent, community theaters in the country. With a focus on the community, the theater has hosted hundreds of fundraisers and events for local groups and non-profits. In 2021 Kevin was given the Fred Ebbett Lifetime Achievement Award by the Cape Cod Baseball League in recognition of his 20 years as producer of the annual Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame ceremony.
About The Orpheum Theater:
The original Orpheum Theater opened in 1916 as Chatham’s first and only movie house. From the early days of silent films through the blockbuster era of JAWS, our Main Street movie theater was a magical place for 72 years — a year-round destination where generations of Cape Cod families and summer visitors could enjoy gripping dramas, slapstick comedies, joyous musicals or swashbuckling adventure films week after week.
In 1938, the building was purchased by Interstate Theaters Corporation and became known as the Chatham Theater. Then in 1987, like so many village movie theaters on Cape Cod, it ceased operations, went dark, and eventually became a CVS pharmacy. The entire town mourned the loss of this iconic Main Street treasure, but the tradition was never forgotten.
Led by founding president Naomi M. Turner and a local team of volunteers, the first $1.3 million was raised to purchase the building in April 2012. The team then launched a more daunting challenge — raising the projected $4 million needed to restore and rehabilitate the 100-year-old wooden structure as a modern, first-class cinema that would feature first-run major motion pictures plus art house movies, independent productions, provocative documentaries, and the works of local filmmakers.
Images
Date and Time
Tuesday Jan 20, 2026
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM EST
1/20/2026
5PM
Fees/Admission
Free!
Contact Information
atwoodreservations@gmail.com
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