‘Save the Majestic’ to sign a lease

Executive Director Carrie Wallace stands behind the counter of the Majestic Theater, surrounded by boxes of equipment.

It’s been a long journey for the Save the Majestic crew, but the non-profit organization may finally be in sight of a finish line. On Monday morning, they announced through Instagram that they had a lease for the Crested Butte building and fully intend to sign it.

It’s been over two years since the Majestic Theater, the valley’s only commercial movie theater, shut down suddenly at the beginning of the pandemic. The building, located next to Clark’s Market in Crested Butte, has remained shuttered ever since. 

Three former employees, Carrie Wallace, Conrad Kaul and Whitney Favor, joined together last year and have been slowly working to reopen the theater as a nonprofit organization. In December 2021, the campaign officially earned nonprofit status, clearing a major hurdle and allowing them to begin fundraising in earnest. 

Seven months later, armed with $170k of their $300k goal — raised through a combination of big and small personal donations — plus a formalized board and a groundswell of local support, success is within reach.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Film Tech NOC, a projectionist company, assessed the existing projectors to be functional, dispeling a worry that Executive Director Carrie Wallace said could have been a major setback. 

“If the projectors were broken, we wouldn’t have money to fix them, but they look good,” she said. “And it looks like we’ll sign the lease.”

Wallace said it was a calculated decision to go ahead with the lease signing despite not yet raising their full goal. The non-profit board — consisting of Karen Hoskin, Morgan Weinberg, Trevor Bona, Jen Reeb, Jesse Hill and Emily Gerdwood — hopes the move toward a brick and mortar location will give potential donors an added feeling of security. Plus, Wallace admitted, the valley is ready to see this long effort begin to materialize. 

“We’re just sick of not having a movie theater,” she said. 

Looking ahead, Wallace said there’s still plenty to do before audiences can take a seat with a bag of popcorn. The building has been empty since the theater shut down, so the first steps involve general upkeep. The HVAC needs attention, the floors need to be cleaned and the bathrooms need maintenance, she said.

“I mean pretty much everything needs some love,” she said. 

From there, they’ll begin the steps of establishing a functioning movie theater. From forging relationships with vendors to acquiring a liquor license, the administrative list is long. Fortunately, as Wallace, Kaul and Favor are all prior employees, they have a jumpstart. In fact, Wallace said she found her old order sheets. 

On a personal level, Wallace is looking forward to devoting herself full time to the mission. She’s been the performing arts manager at the Crested Butte Center for the Arts for a year and a half but will be slowly transitioning out of that role and into a full time position as the executive director of Save the Majestic. 

“We’ve done this for two years completely unpaid,” she said. “And just imagine what we can do when it's all of our energy and we are paid.”

On the topic of finances, Wallace says it's important to remember the fundraising push isn’t over.  While the amount the organization has raised thus far is enough to carry them over the threshold to begin operating, their goal of $300k will establish the operation as sustainable. The full amount would cover six months of operating expenses plus necessary renovations. After that, they hope the system will be self-sustaining through ticket sales and grants.

“I’m grateful to everyone who has supported us up to this point at $170k. If you haven't donated yet, well, as I like to say, be on the right side of history,” she said. “This is your chance to be a part of this beautiful community coming through in the darkest of times.”

If all goes according to plan, the theater will be open and film reels will be rolling by mid-October. If things go especially well, Wallace says there is a chance of opening with the film festival, though it may be without the ability to sell liquor.

For more information or to donate, visit savethecbmajestic.com

(Jacob Spetzler can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or jacob@gunnisontimes.com.)