Ridgefield Playhouse to reopen June 24 with films rather than live events

The Ridgefield Playhouse is reopening with film screenings rather than live shows.

The theater will welcome the public back on June 24 with its “Family Series” of films starting with the animated classic “Shrek.” Friday will devoted to the “Rock Series,” with films related to rock music including “Searching for Sugarman,” “Echo in the Canyon” and “Linda Rondstadt: The Sound of My Voice.”

The theater will also offer a “Classical & Broadway Series” with high-definition recordings of stage productions from London”™s National Theatre, New York”™s Metropolitan Opera and Moscow”™s Bolshoi Ballet; these shows will be presented mostly on weekends.

The “Great Art on Screen” series will offer documentaries on Frida Kahlo and Russia”™s Hermitage, and a “Drama Series” will have “Born on the 4th of July” on (when else?) July 4 and a 30th anniversary screening of “Ghost” on July 30.

“We’re very happy to have some sort of summer series, even if it doesn’t include live performances yet,” said Allison Stockel, executive director. “Right now, we”™re not even sure about how many people we will be able to have in the theater, but we don”™t think it will be more than 25% of the house, which is only about 100 seats.”

Stockel added that the film screenings are not being done to generate revenue, but to get people comfortable about returning to a theater.

“That way, when we do have live events again, there will already be that comfort level for patrons,” she said.