Misplaced Pages

Egyptian Theater
The building's exterior, 2014
Alternative names	SIFF Egyptian Cinema
General information
Type	Movie theater
Address	805 East Pine Street Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates	47°36′54″N 122°19′18″W / 47.61500°N 122.32167°W / 47.61500; -122.32167
Completed	1916
Renovated	1980, 2014
Owner	Seattle Colleges
Website
siff.net

The Egyptian Theater, officially the SIFF Cinema Egyptian, is a movie theater in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. The theater is operated by the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) and located on Pine Street near the Seattle Central College campus.

The theater is located in a historic Masonic Temple, which opened in 1916 and served several local lodges. The four-story brick and terra cotta building included a 1,800-seat auditorium designed by B. Marcus Priteca that was used for community events. The auditorium was renovated by SIFF and decorated in an Egyptian theme; it reopened on November 14, 1980, as the 520-seat Egyptian Theater, with a screening of the French film Charles and Lucie. The building was sold to Seattle Central College in 1992 and its theater, which had been acquired by the chain Landmark Theaters.

Landmark continued to operate the Egyptian Theater until June 27, 2013, after the company declined to renew its lease with Seattle Central College. SIFF took over the lease in May 2014 and raised $340,000 from crowdsourced donations to repair and reopen the theater. The SIFF Egyptian Theater reopened on October 3, 2014. The theater returned to the SIFF circuit beginning with the 42nd annual festival in 2016.

The theater closed indefinitely in November 2024 due to water damage following a leak on the fourth floor. Several screenings were moved to other SIFF venues around the city.

References

1. ^ Sherrard, Jean (October 3, 2019). "For 103 years, a monument to Masonry and the movies". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
2. Arnold, William (November 14, 1980). "A Road Film Well Worth the Ride". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. p. 25.
3. Hartl, John (November 14, 1980). "Fluffy French comedy is opening movie at new Egyptian Theater". The Seattle Times. p. 6.
4. Hartl, John (February 1, 1988). "Egyptian Theater's ownership changes". The Seattle Times. p. E1.
5. Pulkkinen, Levi (June 18, 2013). "Seattle's Egyptian Theater to close". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
6. Ho, Vanessa (August 6, 2014). "Historic Seattle movie theater to re-open". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
7. Lerman, Rachel (October 3, 2014). "The Egyptian Theater reopens after remodel". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
8. "The Egyptian, Capitol Hill's working cinema, ready for another big role in 42nd SIFF". Capitol Hill Seattle Blog. May 16, 2016. Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
9. Hutchinson, Chase (November 7, 2024). "SIFF Cinema Egyptian to close temporarily because of water damage". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 8, 2024.

External links

• Media related to Egyptian Theater (Seattle) at Wikimedia Commons

• 1916 establishments in Washington (state)
• Buildings and structures completed in 1916
• Buildings and structures in Capitol Hill, Seattle
• Cinemas and movie theaters in Washington (state)
• Theatres completed in 1980