Middlesex Community College is excited to announce The Owl Theatre will be coming/returning to the college’s Richard and Nancy Donahue and Family Academic Arts Center (AAC) in Lowell. With the Luna Theater at nearby Mill No. 5 closing on Sunday, February 2, Middlesex will now honor that theater’s legacy with a new version opening at the AAC hearkening back to the building’s roots.
"The Luna Theater provided a unique space in downtown Lowell for film lovers to gather and share the communal experience of a movie,” said Jim Lichoulas, Mill No. 5 Owner. “Now, I’m happy to pass the baton to Middlesex Community College to carry on many of the Luna traditions with their new venture in the nearby Academic Arts center. With this news, Greater Lowell will continue to have a theater venue to keep the tradition of film alive downtown.”
“MCC looks forward to continuing the cultural offerings set by the Luna Theater at Mill No. 5,” said Phil Sisson, MCC’s President. “We are thrilled to provide film options and community entertainment to Greater Lowell. Keeping culture in the downtown area, putting films on the big screen, and bringing the community together matches the work we’re already doing by hosting the Lowell Asian American Film Festival and El Encuentro Film Festival at the AAC. Our hope is to carry on this important institution and provide expansive opportunities for our film and communication programs as we move forward.”
Event planning for the Owl Theatre at Middlesex is underway. This includes bringing the Luna’s crescent moon statue over to the AAC and adding an owl to the artwork.
“Built in 1876, the Boston and Maine depot where our AAC now stands was home to one of the original Lowell movie theaters, The Owl Theatre, which opened in 1913 before becoming the Rialto movie theater,” said Patrick Cook, MCC’s Vice President of Administration. “MCC’s new version of The Owl Theatre is a fantastic opportunity to go back to the building and our community’s roots to one of the first uses of the space. Tying in the college’s owl mascot to this original concept is a perfect fit, while maintaining a wonderful community tradition established so successfully by the Luna Theater for so many years.”
MCC will soon be announcing a series of films that will take place on weekends. Stay tuned for exciting announcements about the first slate of films. In the meantime, email John Bachelder, MCC’s AAC Manager, to recommend movies or film genres.