New owner scripts second act for The Beach Theatre

ST.PETE BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — A new owner is scripting a second act for The St. Pete Beach Theatre — Hannah Hockman is the cinema’s new leading lady.

The historic cinema has switched hands multiple times since it shut down in 2012. More than a decade after its closure work is underway to re-open the landmark.

“It needs a lot of love. It’s in a spot where it’s pretty far from being a movie theatre,” describes Hockman. She believes the spot is an ideal space for a theatre and entertainment.

In 2021, the community submitted ideas for repurposing the decaying auditorium. The owner at the time, Christopher Scott said, “We’re really pleasantly surprised by the amount of people who have contacted us. We’ve had more than 200 people write into the website.”

Recently, Hockman and her parents purchased the ongoing project. They’re entering the scene with a clear objective.

“We want to bring it back to a movie theater, that’s what it was and we want to honor this history,” she explains. “We also want to do live productions here too. We want to bring live professional theatre to the beach.”

According to Hockman, plans include a new roof, demolishing walls, and installing 175 seats. She’s selling branded merchandise to raise money for the renovations and get audiences excited about returning to the old-time favorite.

“We want to do concerts, cabarets, jazz nights, comedy nights, pretty much anything. We’re in a really awesome spot where we don’t have to say no to anything right now,” the owner described.

Hockman’s goal is to reopen the theatre in 2025. You can lean more about the project here: About — The Beach Theatre

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