Curtain rises again at Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center

The Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center will reopen for in-person movie screenings as of Friday, Nov. 6 with a full slate of weekend movies. 

The theater can reopen after new state guidelines for entertainment venues were announced last month.

Screenings are capped at a maximum of 50 people and moviegoers must practice social distancing and mask wearing while at the theater. Patrons must also consent to temperature checks and sign a health waiver before entering.

“This is the first step towards us reopening, and we’re thrilled to have an audience once again,” Julienne Penza-Boone, the arts center’s executive director, said in a written statement. “We will have new protocols in place to limit contact and all attendees must submit to temperature checks so that we can ensure a safe experience for everyone.”

To celebrate the reopening, ticket prices have been reduced to $9 each.

The upcoming schedule of movies features several indie films of the last 20 years, including “Gimme The Loot” at 8 p.m. on Nov. 6; “How To Survive A Plague” at 8 p.m. on Nov. 7; “Joan Rivers: A Piece Of Work” at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 15; “City Of Gold” at 8 p.m. on Nov. 21; and many more.

Founded in 1997, the nonprofit theater has been showing some films online during its pandemic-related closure.

“The film industry quickly moved to virtual cinema platforms, which enabled us to bring critically acclaimed movies to our patrons in the midst of the pandemic,” Penza-Boone said in the statement. “We virtually presented a Korean series in June and a BLM series in July, and more recently, RBG about the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This really highlights our mission to bring the performing arts to the communities we serve and promote inclusivity through the power of film.”