The Civic Theatre

The Civic Theatre of Allentown, also known as the Nineteenth Street Theatre, is the oldest cinema in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The theater opened on September 17, 1928. It hosts live theater, educational programs, and screens art house films. In July 1957, the property was purchased by Allentown's Civic Little Theatre. Since then, stage productions have been performed at the theater. In 1994 the company officially changed its name to the Civic Theatre of Allentown. Its building on 19th Street was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2024. The Civic Theatre produces a live theatre season including four mainstage productions. It also produces children's theatre productions and special events. The theater's film arm primarily shows a variety of independent and international films, generally at lower prices than first run cinemas, with about 60 to 80 movie titles a year. The Theater School enrolls more than 350 students a year in Fall, Winter and Summer sessions. The theater's annual operating budget is roughly $1 million per year.