A venue revived to showcase the thriving artistic community of St. John’s, Newfoundland, The Majestic Theatre dates back over a century. What started as a silent movie theatre had many changes over time, acting as a space for political debate, a furniture store, a bar and more. Now again operating as a theatre, The Majestic continues to support local creative talent.

Act one

The Majestic Theatre was built in 1918 on 390 Duckworth Street by William S. Butler, who designed other historic buildings throughout St. John’s. Situated in the downtown core of the city, The Majestic initially opened as a silent movie theatre and was one of the first venues to show talking movies in the province.

A lot of local art and culture was developed at The Majestic over time, but the building also has a varied history. In 1932, a political riot began in the space, where 2,000 people marched to the Colonial Building to overthrow Prime Minister Richard Squires. It was home to other political rallies and the headquarters of the Confederation debate in the late 1940s. Also, several businesses operated at The Majestic throughout its history, including a furniture store, several bars, an appliance store and it was the birthplace of Spirit of Newfoundland (a local dinner theatre company).

The revival

After being vacant for about six years, a private donor purchased The Majestic Theatre in 2022, and a namesake theatre company was formed to revive the building to its former glory. Krysta Rudofsky, managing director, explains that the building had an $11 million renovation to make the space performance-ready. The stage was extended, lighting and sound equipment were upgraded and acoustic treatments were completed to ensure every seat in the house gets a prime listening experience. The space reopened in 2023 and hosts musicals, plays, live music, movies and more. The Majestic Theatre creates its own productions and is also available for rent.

Rudofsky says generations of locals have memories of attending events at The Majestic Theatre: “It’s been part of people’s entertainment and where they’ve going for arts and culture for more than 100 years.” She shared that one 92-year-old attendee told their team his family used to save pennies to attend movies at The Majestic, which cost 10 cents at the time.

On with the show

Today, the show goes on at The Majestic Theatre. Attendees can enjoy performances on the main stage, which can seat up to 308, or on their small stage inside their Theatre Hill Bar and Café. Run by a small team of under a dozen, in addition to regular events, the company recently launched The Majestic Theatre Young People’s Company program to help young professionals build a career in theatre.

Reflecting on the organization’s purpose, Rudofsky commented: “What we really love is to connect with the community. We aim to do as many events as we can for different groups to remain community-minded.”

---

• For more Web Exclusives, click here.