Regency Village Theatre to reopen with showing of ‘A Quiet Place Part II’
After more than a year of closure, the Regency Village Theatre will reopen May 27 with a screening of “A Quiet Place Part II.” COVID-19 safety measures will be enforced according to county health guidelines. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By Alexandra Guadagno
May 14, 2021 11:28 a.m.
This post was updated May 16 at 9:41 p.m.
The Regency Village Theatre will reopen in late May after closing more than one year ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Village Theatre will reopen May 27 with several safety precautions in place, including limited capacity, social distancing and touch-free ticketing, according to the theater’s website. The reopening follows Los Angeles County’s transition to the least restrictive yellow tier of California’s reopening guideline May 6, which allows theaters to operate at reduced capacity with social distancing.
Because of the pandemic, the Village Theatre hosted only a few limited-capacity screenings for specific people with connections to the Regency Theatres, said Andrew Gualtieri, the theater’s district manager.
Movie theaters in LA County were allowed to reopen at 25% capacity after the county moved into the red tier – the second-most restrictive tier – on March 15. However, the Village Theatre did not open then. The theater chose to wait and show “A Quiet Place Part II,” a movie that would appeal to younger audiences, Gualtieri said.
With LA County’s advancement to the yellow tier, theaters are allowed to increase occupancy to 50%, according to the LA County order of the health officer.
The theater will maintain a maximum capacity of 200 people per cinema, Gualtieri said, compared to previously seating up to 1,361 before the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be three empty seats between each party and every other row will be closed to enforce social distancing, he said. Visitors may only buy up to 10 tickets per screening.
Gualtieri added that all employees will have their body temperatures checked and be screened for COVID-19 symptoms prior to the start of each shift. However, guests will not be required to undergo temperature checks prior to entering.
All guests will be required to wear masks when they are not eating or drinking in the theater, according to Gualtieri. Movie ticket and concession purchases will be contactless, he added.
The theater has been a central component of the Westwood community since the 1930s when it first opened, Gualtieri said. The reopening comes just in time for the theater’s 90th anniversary Aug. 14.
The Village Theatre is a part of the Regency Theatres, a local family-owned business. The company reopened some of its other theaters in the last few weeks, including the ones in Van Nuys and Agoura Hills, Gualtieri said.
Juyi Yang, a fourth-year economics transfer student, said although he has yet to visit the Village Theatre, he hopes to see the theater enforce social distancing when he does go.
Nathan Doh, a fourth-year English transfer student, said he hopes to get a chance to visit the theater before graduating. Doh said he plans to get out and see a movie now that the Village Theatre is reopening.
“The vibe will be better because (people) will be out here trying to have fun,” Doh said. “I’ve been antsy to do something.”
Doh added that the theater’s reopening will liven up Westwood’s social life.
The theater will showcase the premiere of “A Quiet Place Part II” as its first film after reopening on the evening of May 27.
