Michael Marsolek speaks with the director of the Rex Theater Project in Thompson Falls, Montana, Deb Wilson.
A short history of the Rex Theater
Construction on the Rex Theater began in 1939, and it was finished in 1940. However, the first audience that it served was Christmas of 1939. As far as Wilson has researched, she is the third or fourth owner of the Rex Theater. Wilson is currently working with Doug and Karen Grimm, the theater’s previous owners, to renovate the property and make it a community hub.
From the Rex Theater Project website
A focal point of this [Rex Theater Project] Foundation, managed by a volunteer Board, is the rehabilitation of the Rex Theatre, a 3210 square foot theater originally built in 1939, located on the main highway (HWY 200), Thompson Falls, the center of commerce and county seat of Sanders County, Montana. The Rex started construction in 1939 and finished in 1940 for the purpose of a commercial showhouse for movies. The facility was closed in response to a deteriorating economy in the community and Sanders County. During its 83 years of operation the theater changed ownership many times and has occasionally been shuttered.
Goals of the Foundation are to rehabilitate the facility and provide the community a space for live performances and entertainment. A secondary vision is the contribution to the revitalization and pride of our community by perpetuating a local historical asset and ultimately serving as a catalyst for visitation, community revitalization and economic development impacts. The project will strengthen our attraction of nonresident visitors, showcase our rural mountain assets, and support our tourism economy.
Learn more from the Rex Theater Project website here.
