Mason City's Arlee Theater changing hours to reflect reduction of business in midst of coronavirus

 

[September 18, 2020] 

COVID-19 has affected yet another business. Due to low attendance rates, the Arlee Theater management is eliminating the 7 p.m. Sunday show starting in October.

“What most people don’t realize is how much it costs just to strike the bulb on the projector, and as much as we hate to reduce availability, we also need to do what’s best to help protect the theater financially,” said Arlee manager Marcia Maxson Schwartz. “So, starting in October movies will play at 7 p.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Monday, and at 2 p.m. only on Sunday.”

Even before the governor shut down businesses in March, Arlee management decided to temporarily close due to safety concerns. The theater offered curbside concessions on Friday nights until reopening in July.

“We are following guidelines to make visits safe here, and with an auditorium that was built to seat 500, it is very easy to socially distance people,” said Gaye Maxson of the Arlee. “Attendance has been running at 20 or fewer people per show.”

“Before we reopened, we were concerned that we would have to turn people away when we exceeded 50 patrons, but that has yet to occur,” Maxson said. She attributes the low numbers to apprehension of some customers as well as the quality of movies currently available. Few studios are releasing new films so theaters can book either obscure independent films, newer releases already streaming into homes or older classics that people already have seen.

When attendance rebounds, the Sunday evening show will be reinstated.

“We have some very loyal families that frequently come on Sunday nights,” Maxson said. “We are sorry we cannot accommodate them right now, but hope to before long.”

[Gaye Maxson]