Lights, Covid-19, action: YK’s Capitol Theatre reopens next week

Yellowknife’s only theatre will reopen its doors on Friday, August 14, with limited capacity, the theatre’s manager told Cabin Radio.

The theatre will welcome back film fans with the latest SpongeBob movie – Sponge on the Run – and Russell Crowe’s new flick Unhinged. A third film to show will be chosen on Monday.

Theatre manager Chris Wood said he was excited to welcome back guests after a long summer without the big screen.

“We’re happy to be reopened and we’re happy to provide people in the city with some escapism entertainment,” he said.

The theatre will screen all three movies once each night – with staggered start times – from Monday to Friday. There will be an additional matinee showing on both Saturday and Sunday.

This allows the theatre to comply with its cleaning schedule and social distancing protocols, said Wood, and ensure crowds do not gather.

“If we don’t spread the shows apart, a lot of people could show up at the same time and then that would be difficult to handle in the space,” he said.

Ticket and concession prices will remain the same. Staff will wear masks and gloves, with barriers at certain points.

Some seats will be blocked off so people sitting in the auditorium are at least two metres away from each other. There will be a limit on how many people can be in the bathroom at the same time.

Wood said the theatre is reopening as Hollywood has finally started to release movies that were previously being held back. 

With the pandemic hitting the United States hard, the industry kept pushing back release dates in the hope that more theatres in major cities would reopen to play them.

“All we’re asking for is people’s patience and understanding,” said Wood, “because it’s new to us and it’s going to be new to them.”