Southampton Playhouse opening with vintage and first-run movies, plus IMAX auditorium

A new Long Island cinema, the Southampton Playhouse, opens Thursday with four screens and a schedule of first-run films and repertory programming that organizers hope will set the tone for a new era of moviegoing on the East End.

The theater, which will boast the only IMAX auditorium in the Hamptons, opens with showings of the new Marvel movie "Captain America: Brave New World," the family friendly comedy "Paddington in Peru" and the documentary "The Blue Angels," about the famous U.S. Navy flying squadron. The Southampton Playhouse will also screen its first repertory title, Ernst Lubitsch’s 1932 comedy "Trouble in Paradise," on Sunday.

That classic film harks back to the venue’s original opening as the Southampton Theatre in 1932. Launched by Michael Glynne (owner of the original Sag Harbor Cinema), the venue over the years drew such Hollywood luminaries as Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford and Marlon Brando, according to Eric Kohn, the Playhouse’s inaugural artistic director. Most recently owned by Regal Cinemas, the theater shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I’ve learned a lot about the memories that people have across the generations" in Southampton, said Kohn, a New York City-based former film critic for IndieWire who has also served as a film producer. "Somebody saw ‘The Birds’ the week it opened, and somebody else saw ‘Fletch,’ with Chevy Chase. So we’re gathering all these bits and pieces and welcoming all these people who have warm memories of the theater."

The Southampton Playhouse was purchased by Aby Rosen and Charlie Rosen of RFR Holding, in partnership with Alex Black, CEO of Lyrical Media, according to a news release from the venue, and will run as a not-for-profit organization. That puts it in the company of the nearby Sag Harbor Cinema and Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre, both also known for screening a mix of current and classic titles. In addition to Kohn, the theater has tapped Maria A. Ruiz Botsacos, formerly of Film at Lincoln Center, as executive director.

"There are some really good movie theaters in the area, and the more theaters there are, the better for everyone," Kohn said. "We hope we’re a destination for people outside the area as well."

For tickets and showtimes, visit SouthamptonPlayhouse.com.

By Rafer Guzmán

rafer.guzman@newsday.com