In Hillsboro
The Venetian Theater claims long history
Nearly every small town or city in Oregon has an old theater in the old downtown section. These buildings all look basically the same from town to town and all were built during the 1920s, '30s and '40s when entertainment was at a premium.
Before TV, radio and ipods and other forms of personal entertainment, people went to the movies on Friday or Saturday nights and sometimes they went to a Sunday matinee. It was a big deal, and in the early days, only cost five or 10 cents.
Then came television, suburbs and malls. With the face of American shopping undergoing a major shift away from the old downtown centers of commerce, the moviemakers had to find other ways of marketing their latest productions. So the giant cinemaplex was born. These were buildings where multiple screens and theaters were housed under one roof. They had unlimited concessions, spacious bathrooms, the latest technology in electronic hardware and comfortable seats.
The old downtown theaters were abandoned. Many fell into disrepair and were torn down. Some were converted into other uses such as schools or churches or even retail stores selling antiques and other tourist paraphernalia.
The Hillsboro Venetian has an even longer history because the original building was constructed in 1888 as a bank. In 1911, it became The Grand Theater with a 200-seat capacity. In 1916, 300 more seats were added and the name was changed to The Liberty. In 1925, a fire closed the theater, and it had to be remodeled. It was then renamed The Venetian and continued to show movies for the next 30 years. A faulty curtain motor started another fire in 1956, bringing about another refurbishment and name change to The Town Theater.
In the 1970s, the movie industry underwent major changes and many movie houses were taken over by giant corporations who expanded their holdings by building the huge cinemas in shopping malls with multiple screens. However, when Tom Moyer bought The Venetian in 1978, he opted to keep it active and movies continued to be shown until 1996, when the theater became unprofitable. It was sold to the city of Hillsboro for $1500 and then it sat empty until August of 2007.
That was when Denzil Scheller purchased the building with a big plan to help revitalize old downtown Hillsboro.
The first thing that needed to be done was to enlarge the space. So, with sledgehammers, backhoes and other implements of destruction, they gutted the building. Working closely with an architect and city planners, they crafted a well-planned establishment that includes not just a theater but also a full-service bar, restaurant, lounge, meeting room and dining balcony. It even has a roll-up door for summer, so the dining room can be expanded onto the sidewalk during warm weather. The whole business opened in the summer of 2008.
As well as showing movies in the theater, the Venetian schedules regular performances including live concerts, free live music in the lounge, and a local group of thespians called "Bag and Baggage." It will soon include a free jazz jam session on Tuesday nights in the theater.
The current manager is Mike Soto, a musician himself, who has been part of the Venetian team since June of 2008. He's enthusiastic about the Venetian's potential to become a reliable anchor of the downtown art and tourist scene, which includes galleries, art stores and restaurants, as well as the nearby Civic Center and the Washington County Courthouse.
Additional parking is available on the streets and in the community parking lot. If you don't want to drive, TriMet provides an attractive alternative. The Hillsboro Transit Center is a short walk from the Venetian.
Both Soto and head waitress Sandie Odle point out that the menu is always changing to accommodate the palates of their customers. The new menu coming out soon will include in-house sauces, the Venetian's own pasta, steak and Italian cuisine.
A complete schedule of upcoming events can be seen at www.venetiantheatre.com. This site gives the history of the building, lists the movie previews, names the artists scheduled to perform in the lounge and theater, details the upcoming plays and displays the current menu. It even has newspaper articles about its development and lists job openings for those interested in working in Hillsboro's classiest bistro.
It's located at 325 East Main Street in historic downtown Hillsboro. For more information, call (503)693-3953. It's open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
If you never thought old historic districts in small towns could be entertaining, think again. The Venetian offers many reasons to get off the couch, take a ride on Tri Met and go out for a movie, a play, dinner and a drink all at the same beautiful location. Cheers!