Charles Theatre
Encyclopedia
Jackson C. Gott
Jackson C. Gott was an American architect.Buildings designed by him which survive and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places include:*Masonic Temple , 101-107 W. Broad St., Richmond, VA...
, located in what is now the Station North arts and entertainment district. The theater was re-named the Charles (for its location on Charles Street) circa 1959 and became a calendar revival house in 1979. Many of John Waters
John Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
's early films premiered at this theatre; this honor has since shifted the Senator Theatre
Senator Theatre
The Senator Theatre is a historic single-screen Art Deco movie theater located at 5904 York Road in the Govans section of Baltimore, Maryland 21212. It shows first run movies as well as classics.The theater ceased showing first-run films on 15 March 2009...
.
In 1999, it underwent a major expansion and is now a five-screen theater, though the original main theater has been left largely intact and is still the largest theater in the complex. The Charles now serves as an arthouse multiplex
Multiplex (movie theater)
A multiplex is a movie theater complex with multiple screens, typically three or more. They are usually housed in a specially designed building. Sometimes, an existing venue undergoes a renovation where the existing auditoriums are split into smaller ones, or more auditoriums are added in an...
, showing a variety of independent films along with some major studio prestige pictures. The main theatre hosts revival series and special screenings several times a week, as well as the occasional live concert performance. The entire theater complex serves as the host of the annual Maryland Film Festival.
The Charles sits just across the tracks of the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
from Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (Baltimore)
Pennsylvania Station is the main train station in Baltimore, Maryland. Designed by New York architect Kenneth MacKenzie Murchison , it was constructed in 1911 in the Beaux-Arts style of architecture for the Pennsylvania Railroad. It is located at 1515 N...
, putting the theater within easy walking distance of Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, MARC
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
, and Light Rail
Baltimore Light Rail
The Maryland Transit Administration Light Rail is a light rail system serving Baltimore, Maryland, United States, and the surrounding suburbs.In downtown Baltimore it uses city streets...
service. Another Light Rail stop, University of Baltimore/Mt. Royal, is also close by.
The original structure, known as the Baltimore City Passenger Railway Power House and Car Barn
Baltimore City Passenger Railway Power House and Car Barn
Baltimore City Passenger Railway Power House and Car Barn, also known as the Charles Theatre, is a historic street railway building located at Baltimore, Maryland, United States. It is a two-story brick Romanesque Revival style building, constructed in 1892, that has been altered for a variety of...
, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1998.
Trivia
The pre-expansion Charles of the '70s was featured in the John WatersJohn Waters (filmmaker)
John Samuel Waters, Jr. is an American filmmaker, actor, stand-up comedian, writer, journalist, visual artist, and art collector, who rose to fame in the early 1970s for his transgressive cult films...
film Polyester
Polyester (film)
Polyester is a 1981 comedy film directed, produced, and written by John Waters, and starring Divine, Tab Hunter, Edith Massey, and Mink Stole...
as the X-rated theater run by Elmer Fishpaw, the husband of Divine's character, Francine Fishpaw.