Art house theater headed to old Burton Elementary on Cass Ave.

The Burton Theatre is set to open in the Burton Elementary building on Cass at Peterboro on Oct. 3.

The movie house will screen new, independent films, LBGT, foreign, and cult.

The four partners behind the project -- David Allen, Jeff Else, Nate Faustyn and Matt Kelson -- saw the scarcity of movie theaters in Detroit, plus they had a 35mm projector. When developer Joel Landy purchased Burton Elementary, they discovered that he wanted a movie theater in the building. It was a perfect match.

The school's auditorium, which seats 100, has been restored to use as the theater. Landy also plans to put live/work spaces in the building. Another Burton tenant, The Detroit Production Project, is teaming up with Burton Theatre to form the Cass Avenue Film Syndicate. The film group will host a kick-off event on Sep. 18 at the Magic Stick featuring music from Terrible Twos, Cotton Museum, Jaye Thomas+Michael Mars, Carjack, He Bops and Stevie.

Burton will eventually expand to host theater, live music and art openings. To start, expect screenings weekends and Wednesday evenings. The Spirit of the Beehive will screen first; Mommie Dearest, Cannibal Holocaust and Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence are all on the docket before the year is up.

Become a Facebook Fan of Burton Theatre to keep up with the schedule.

Source: David Allen, Burton Theatre
Writer: Kelli B. Kavanaugh

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