THE ROXY REGIONAL THEATRE

Story by Ryan Bowie

Since the early 1900s, the corner of Franklin and First has been the cornerstone of local entertainment. The Lillian, built in 1913, was the first movie theatre in Clarksville. Following a fire in 1914, the Lillian was rebuilt in 1915 and saw thousands of patrons enjoying silent pictures.

The theatre went “dark” during the Great Depression, but with the advent of Fort Campbell, the Lillian was renamed the Roxy. Following a second fire in 1945, the Roxy was completely rebuilt and became the new Roxy Theatre. A sleek exterior, featuring a new lighting called neon, beaconed movie-goers from miles around. Opening in 1947, The Roxy entertained Clarksvillians with first-run movies until the early 1980’s.

The Roxy Regional Theatre, founded in 1983, has been the hub for Arts and Entertainment in Historic Downtown Clarksville for 38-years, but due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, we were forced to shut our doors March 13, 2020 for the health and safety of our staff, talent and patrons. On the verge of opening our stunning production of A Streetcar Named Desire, we made the difficult decision to temporarily postpone opening a week, then a month, then three months and then for the foreseeable future. But with the majority of our community adhering to the mask mandates, the availability of the COVID vaccine and the hard work and determination of our staff, board of directors and supporters, we are on the verge of opening Season 39 in September 2021. show classic and new release feature films on Sunday’s at 2pm. But it doesn’t stop there! We hope you will think about the Roxy Regional Theatre as a community space that is equitable and accessible to our entire community. We encourage you to contact us about possible rentals and other opportunities to use the space as well as our options for personalizing the iconic Roxy Marquee.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 18, 2021 as the 15th Annual Frolic on Franklin: Celebration of the Arts takes over the 100 block of Franklin Street with close to 40 local artists and artisans. Come back the next week for the acclaimed Roxy GALA, celebrating the opening of Season 39 in style on Saturday, September 25, 2021.

To stay up to date with sneak peeks into our season announcements, upcoming events and showtimes, our educational programming, ways for you to get involved and local auditions please subscribe to our mailing list through our website, roxyregionaltheatre.org. You can also like us on Facebook and Instagram for the latest information.

After a year and half, we are thrilled to welcome Clarksville-Montgomery County through our doors once again. We will continue to put the health and safety of all concerned at the front of planning. We look forward to seeing you at the Roxy Regional Theatre in the heart of Historic Downtown Clarksville.

While we can’t announce our full season line up just yet, we are confident you “can’t help falling in love” with Season 39, full of professional plays and musicals. Our upcoming season will feature an eclectic mix of topics and genres from historical figures, to honky tonk roustabouts, to characters that pull at your heart-strings and make you see things in a new perspective.

Our School of the Arts Educational programming will continue in the Fall of 2021 as will our Daytime Curriculum Series for local schools and other groups through the 2021 and 2022 season. The highly successful Planters Bank Presents...Film Series will continue to