Sunday night will be the last time to see movies at the Parsons Theatre unless some alternate arrangement can be made.
Acme Cinema owns the theater and released a statement on the closing Wednesday afternoon.
‘We are extremely sad to report that the Parsons Theatre is closing. Our financial situation does not allow us to responsibly stay open. We want to thank all of our loyal customers and our community for your love and support. And a very special thank you to all of our employees throughout the years,” the statement said.
The statement continued that the bottom line is that not enough people are coming to the movies in Parsons.
“The movie industry has changed drastically since we opened. We are proud to say we adapted as we could and survived as long as possible. We even rebuilt after a fire, a tornado and out-lasted a pandemic, but with plummeting box office numbers, population decline and the lure of watching from the comfort of home, it won’t be a natural disaster that ends our show.”
The statement says that movie theaters in the U.S. have been declining steadily for years, so Acme owners knew the closing of this theatre is more of the norm than an exception, “but that doesn’t make our hearts any less heavy.”
“This decision has been one we have struggled with. It did not come without a fight. We have sought buyers and hoped to find the right person to take over. It is clear an out-of-the-box solution is required. We are hopeful a creative plan may present itself in the future.
“We cherish what the theater has meant to us and our family, and we hope the people of Parsons will take a few laughs and tears from movies they’ve seen at this theatre into the future. We know, like many of you, our stories began and were written in Parsons. We want a healthy, thriving Parsons for many years to come. For now, it will have to be one without a theater,” the statement concludes.
The Sun asked Jim Zaleski, the city of Parsons economic development director, if the city was doing anything to address the closing.
“The city will do what it can within its means to assist the theater in remaining open, and we are exploring all possible options, but unfortunately, at this time, this is a financial hurdle that the city cannot overcome,” Zaleski said in the statement.
