Sedgwick Theatre

The Sedgwick Theater is a historic theater and former cinema at 7137 Germantown Avenue in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Designed by Philadelphia architect William Harold Lee, it opened in 1928 during the transition from silent pictures to synchronized sound. Its architecture reflects the era's movie-palace ambitions: the building was conceived around a large single-screen auditorium, substantial lobbies, a stage for live performance, and an Art Deco interior vocabulary. The theater's design included a rectangular entrance lobby that led into an oval lobby with a coat check and opposing men's and women's facilities. Five large archways opened from the lobby toward the auditorium, where the seating rake descended approximately 15 feet toward the screen. Although a balcony appeared in early plans, it was removed shortly before construction, contributing to the auditorium's notably high, vaulted ceiling. The building originally contained a Möller pipe organ, Opus 5230, which was removed after the cinema closed and was eventually reinstalled at the Keswick Theatre after more than two decades in storage. The Sedgwick operated as a movie theater from its opening until 1966. After closure, the property was acquired for warehouse use and internally divided. A cinderblock wall separated the auditorium from the lobby areas, the seats and sloped floor were removed, and the rear auditorium was reduced to a largely gutted industrial space. Elements of the original interior survived, including much of the ceiling, an Art Deco ceiling medallion, and part of the proscenium arch. The building's subsequent history has therefore combined architectural preservation with adaptive community use rather than a straightforward return to its original cinema operation. David and Betty Ann Fellner purchased the substantially deteriorated building and established the nonprofit Sedgwick Cultural Center in 1995. Its stated purpose was to strengthen the surrounding community through the arts. A stage was installed in the oval lobby, allowing performances and cultural programming to take place even while the principal auditorium remained in poor condition. By 2006, after approximately a decade of community programming, the Sedgwick Cultural Center had separated from the building, and the theater still required extensive rehabilitation. Before 2010, the property functioned as a community arts space with a gallery in the former ticket-booth area and occasional film screenings under the Films at the Sedgwick program. That program used public-domain films and a participatory selection process called Film Q Public, through which community members could review proposed films, consider available trailers and plot information, and vote on programming. This approach reduced the risks associated with commercial film rental while giving local audiences a role in determining screenings. In May 2010, Quintessence Theatre Group began renting the Sedgwick for classical repertory theater, opening its tenancy with Measure for Measure. The group was reported as the theater's sole occupant as of September 2019. The Sedgwick thus evolved from a neighborhood movie palace into a historic, community-oriented performing-arts venue whose present identity is closely associated with live theater, preservation, and adaptive reuse. The building remains one of the surviving Philadelphia theaters designed by William Harold Lee, although its long-term restoration and sustainable operating model have remained unresolved.

The Sedgwick Theater opened in 1928 at 7137 Germantown Avenue in Philadelphia's Mount Airy neighborhood. Architect William Harold Lee designed the building in the style of an Art Deco movie palace, at a moment when American theaters were adapting to synchronized sound while still retaining the stage and spatial grandeur associated with silent-film exhibition. The Sedgwick consequently combined a large single-screen auditorium with a performance stage and formal lobby sequence. Its entrance led first to a rectangular lobby and then to an oval lobby that served as the building's principal interior pivot. Five broad archways connected that space with the auditorium, whose seating floor fell roughly 15 feet toward the screen. A balcony was included in preliminary planning but removed shortly before construction, leaving the auditorium with a distinctive vaulted volume. The theater also opened with a Möller pipe organ, Opus 5230. The cinema remained in operation for nearly four decades, closing in 1966. The post-cinema period was substantially destructive. The property was acquired for warehouse use, a cinderblock partition was erected between the auditorium and the lobbies, and the auditorium's seats and sloped floor were removed. The remaining rear space became largely utilitarian, although portions of the original ceiling, an Art Deco ceiling medallion, and part of the proscenium survived. The organ was removed when the theater closed, placed in storage, and later installed at the Keswick Theatre after more than twenty years. David and Betty Ann Fellner acquired the damaged building and created the Sedgwick Cultural Center in 1995. The nonprofit organization's mission was to build community through the arts. Since the main auditorium was not restored, a stage was constructed in the oval lobby, enabling performances and other programming in a surviving part of the historic plan. The organization brought cultural activity to the property for about ten years, but by 2006 it had separated from the building and the major restoration challenge remained. A complete rehabilitation was described as requiring an estimated $10 million to $12 million, excluding the cost of establishing an income-producing business capable of sustaining the venue; this estimate is historical and not a current valuation. Prior to 2010, the building continued to function intermittently as a community arts venue. A gallery occupied the former ticket-booth area, and Films at the Sedgwick presented occasional screenings. To avoid the financial and licensing risks of renting commercial films, the program focused on public-domain works. Its Film Q Public initiative invited residents to participate in selection by reviewing candidate films and voting for preferred titles. Once sufficient support accumulated, a film could be scheduled, making the program an example of community-directed cultural programming. In May 2010, Quintessence Theatre Group began renting the Sedgwick for classical repertory productions. Its first listed production at the venue was Shakespeare's Measure for Measure. By September 2019, Quintessence was described as the theater's sole occupant. The Sedgwick's modern identity therefore rests less on commercial cinema than on adaptive reuse as a live-performance and community-arts site. It remains a surviving example of Lee's Philadelphia theater work and a preservation concern whose historic lobbies and surviving decorative details coexist with a heavily altered auditorium.

• 2010

  Quintessence begins its tenancy

  [1]Sedgwick Theateren.wikipedia.org

  Quintessence Theatre Group starts renting the venue for classical repertory theater and presents Measure for Measure as its first production there.

• 2006

  Cultural center separates from the building

  [1]Sedgwick Theateren.wikipedia.org

  After roughly ten years of community programming, the Sedgwick Cultural Center separates from the theater while major restoration needs remain.

• 1995

  Sedgwick Cultural Center is established

  [1]Sedgwick Theateren.wikipedia.org

  David and Betty Ann Fellner create the Sedgwick Cultural Center as a nonprofit arts organization, and a stage is added in the oval lobby.

• 1966

  Cinema operations end

  [1]Sedgwick Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The theater closes after operating as a cinema since 1928. Its Möller organ is removed and later transferred to the Keswick Theatre.

• 1928

  The theater opens

  [1]Sedgwick Theateren.wikipedia.org

  The Sedgwick Theater opens in Mount Airy, Philadelphia, as an Art Deco movie palace designed by William Harold Lee.

A historic Philadelphia movie palace repurposed as a community arts and live-theater venue, with a particular association with classical repertory theater and neighborhood cultural programming.

• Live performance · 2010

  Classical repertory theater

  The venue's principal modern offering is live theater, particularly classical repertory presented by Quintessence Theatre Group. This use builds on the building's original combination of movie exhibition and stage performance, while adapting surviving lobby and theater spaces for contemporary cultural production.

• Film exhibition

  Films at the Sedgwick

  Films at the Sedgwick was a community-oriented screening program that used public-domain films. Its Film Q Public component allowed local participants to review proposed titles and vote on programming, reducing exposure to commercial film-rental costs while encouraging audience involvement.

• Arts and culture · 1995

  Community arts programming

  Through the Sedgwick Cultural Center and later community initiatives, the property supported performances, gallery activity, and neighborhood arts events. Because the auditorium had been gutted, the oval lobby became an important adaptable space for cultural use.

• 2010

  Shift toward classical repertory theaterStrategy

  Background

  Following earlier community arts and film activity, the venue required a stable cultural use compatible with its surviving stage and lobby spaces.

  Action taken

  Quintessence Theatre Group began renting the Sedgwick for classical repertory productions.

  Aftermath

  Quintessence was reported as the theater's sole occupant as of September 2019.

  Source

• 1995

  Adapt the property for nonprofit community artsStrategy

  Background

  The former cinema had suffered extensive alteration after its 1966 closure and warehouse conversion, making immediate restoration of the full auditorium impractical.

  Action taken

  The Sedgwick Cultural Center established a nonprofit arts operation and installed a performance stage in the surviving oval lobby.

  Aftermath

  The building hosted community programming for about a decade, but the cultural center separated from the property by 2006 and the principal restoration challenge remained.

  Source

1. 1Sedgwick Theateren.wikipedia.org