Stories about the Wilton Town Hall Theatre reached me in Durham long before I became a resident of Wilton. One of my Durham neighbors had grown up in Wilton. She took great pride in comparing what she was able to see at the Town Hall Theatre with what was available at theaters in Durham, Dover or Portsmouth, and these latter three towns came out on the losing end of that comparison.
So when fate brought us to Wilton, I knew I had something to look forward to, and Town Hall Theatre offerings never disappointed. Where else except in Boston or New York, Cannes or Telluride could you expect to see first-run art, international film festival winners or beloved classic movies complete with musical accompaniment? At Wilton’s Town Hall Theatre, that’s where.
That was until COVID-19 struck the world and things changed. But we’ll get to that later.
The THT’s success is due to its proprietor, Dennis Markaverich. Dennis has been a theater devotee since he was “5 or 6 years old,” when he was introduced to the magic of films by his family. He never outgrew this passion and even found a way to be involved with the film industry while he served in the Air Force by showing films on base and off during his tour of duty.
What early exposure to movies did for Dennis was to give him an appreciation of films that made you think instead of merely entertain. When he was offered the chance to open the Town Hall Theatre 51 years ago, he set out to show the kind of films he felt were important – films not often seen on the screen at the major chain cinemas.
This decision is what gave the Town Hall Theatre its loyal audiences and led to its long success, against all odds – this and its famous buttered popcorn made with care by Dennis himself. As one customer commented, “It’s the best popcorn in the universe.” Dennis wants to serve popcorn that reminds him of what it used to taste like when he was a kid when made with only the best ingredients.
He added that his audiences shouldn’t be short-changed in any respect. To verify this, go to the Town Hall Theatre’s Facebook page and read what satisfied patrons from all over the country have to say. They frequently mention that the THT offers the best theater experience they know of, no matter where they live.
Comments come from New York City to Kirkland, Wash., from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to San Diego, along with numerous comments from around New England, where people drive from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and Massachusetts to catch a film in Wilton. These comments continue today in our post-pandemic world, even when the theater offerings have had to change with time and circumstances. Let me explain.
When COVID first hit the Monadnock region, the theater had to shutter its doors. But no one wanted these doors to be permanently closed. First, the community responded when a group of people led an effort to purchase blocks of theater tickets in advance to ensure an income for the theater and Dennis.
Restarting the Sunday silent film matinees with Jeff Rapsis at the piano, along with another effort to book the theater for private parties, even during the height of the pandemic, successfully helped Dennis keep the theater viable while many other theaters ceased operating.
During that time, shutdowns and isolation led customers to rely on streaming services instead of venturing out into public, and this became part of their lifestyle even when fears of COVID abated. People had become accustomed to sitting at home watching films rather than going to a theater, and the price of tickets at most theaters made taking a family out for an evening a costly experience.
In this new world, even after the THT was able to open and ticket prices were still half the price of those at other theaters, the films Dennis could show were harder to obtain. The film industry itself had changed. Its increased reliance on digital technology was one shift. Another was that overseas sales were a rapidly growing component of Hollywood’s customer base.
Marketing efforts began to focus heavily on China, whose purchases comprised a large percentage of that overseas base. This meant that art and thought-provoking films were less likely to be produced since they rarely sold in China. At the same time, according to Dennis, the foreign film market had fallen off dramatically. Both of these were the very sort of films that had previously been the Town Hall Theatre’s main attractions.
Yet simultaneously, the popularity of the Town Hall Theatre’s theater parties and the continued Sunday silent film matinees with Rapsis confirmed an audience interest in classic films shown on the big screen.
Dennis made another decision. He would only show classic films, but he would offer them free of charge, with a contribution to the donation jar if possible, just as he had always done for the Sunday matinees. But what he really wants are the seats filled with happy customers. Making certain folks with few resources are able to have a night or afternoon out at the theater has always been one of his goals.
One thing he enjoys doing is grouping his shows into themes. The recent Mother’s Day weekend program confirms this with showings of “Gypsy,” “Serial Mom,” “Stella Dallas” and “Mommy Dearest.”
Theater parties are still helping Dennis keep the theater alive, while offering a personal theater experience for groups of friends or students. Bringing groups of children in for special films chosen by the Milford School District faculty are his way of introducing a theater experience to kids that he hopes will become a life-long habit.
“I like to think I’m nurturing future film goers,” he said.
One thing these kids have already realized is that theater popcorn served at the Town Hall Theatre is an unforgettable treat.
Keeping movies on the screen and the THT a thriving and important part of the Monadnock region experience is what keeps Dennis smiling — just as he does when he gets to meet and chat with those who visit the theater.
The Town Hall Theatre is Dennis’s way of supporting the community that has been his home for most of his life. He even winds the Town Hall clocks, although he has to duck the bats who roost in the attic. Years ago, I remember Dennis leading me up the steep stairs to the clock tower to view the signatures of George Senter, among others, and a drawing of what appears to be a man of the Teddy Roosevelt era on the wall of the tower dated (18)82.
I asked him how often he makes that climb. He replied that he needs to do it when the clock hands need attention and light bulbs changed, but admitted, “I do it as infrequently as possible. There are birds living there that don’t like it when I disturb them and I’ve seen that Hitchcock movie.”