Reopening plans for the Michigan & State!

Announcements

After much discussion, and with the health of our community in mind, the Michigan Theater Foundation (MTF) team has made the decision to delay a full public reopening until April 2021.

The MTF received permission from the State of Michigan to reopen the historic Michigan and State theaters in downtown Ann Arbor on December 21, 2020. For reasons of safety, the MTF team made the conscious decision to delay a full public reopening for three reasons:

  1. The rise in the infection rate after the Christmas/New Year holiday.
  2. Consumer concerns about a new, more infectious strain of the COVID-19 virus.
  3. A paucity of current film releases making programming the theaters of limited appeal.

Over the next few months, we will host special socially-distanced events at the Michigan and State theaters for our members and our general public. These events will range from one-off film screenings, concerts, educational activities, holiday celebrations, and programs around the upcoming film awards season. Most of these in-person events will be open to the public (ticketed or free with sponsor support), but some will be by invitation only for the MTF community (members, sponsors, etc.).

We’ll kick things off the last weekend in January with a special 93rd birthday screening of A HERO FOR A NIGHT, the silent film that opened the Michigan Theater on January 5, 1928. More announcements and details coming soon!

 

As the COVID-19 vaccine implementation rate accelerates, MTF management anticipates a regular program of public movie screenings and other special events to begin after April 1, 2021. The MTF team is confident in our ability to safely reopen for our customers in 2021 in line with the new safety protocols and measures that we implemented and tested at both theaters during our brief reopening in October 2020.

 

At this time, folks looking for a night (or day) out on the town are welcome to rent one of our theaters for a private screening or activity. Rentals can take the form of movie screenings, group video gaming, rehearsals, video or audio recording sessions, and more. The MTF team is willing to be flexible to renters’ needs to the extent allowable by State of Michigan and Washtenaw County regulations, the theater’s own established health and safety guidelines,  and our technical capabilities.

The MTF Virtual Movie Palace will continue to make new movies and virtual programs (like the popular Virtual Trivia Nights) available for rental each week, and the Michigan Theater’s renowned popcorn (with real butter!) and other concessions and merchandise items are available for curbside pick-up from the Michigan Theater (603 E. Liberty) on Fridays from 5-7 PM, with additional days and times to be added.

Thank you for your ongoing support of the Michigan Theater Foundation. See you soon!