A celebration of Downtown Pittsburgh’s Harris Theater
One of the region’s most valuable arts and culture assets can be found on Liberty Avenue in Downtown Pittsburgh. With screenings showing a wide assortment of incredible contemporary, foreign, and classic films, the Harris Theater is a gem. And so is its Venue Manager Joseph Morrison.
Formerly known as the Art Cinema, the theater opened in 1931 as the first in the Steel City to commercially show art films. In the 1960s, competition prompted its conversion to an adult movie house (a recent Instagram post shows an old Art Cinema photo declaring “adult action shockers!”), and the theater was eventually purchased and restored by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
The venue officially opened to the public as the Harris Theater in 1995 and, in recent years, the theater introduced a BYOB add-on and underwent important renovations, including a new screen. Just last week, the venue celebrated 92 years of service.
Morrison, who film lovers can often spot in the lobby before and after screenings, boasts a wealth of experience in programming films in Pittsburgh, including stints at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Pittsburgh Center for Arts and Media, the Hollywood Theater in Dormont, and Jump Cut Theater. Anyone who has witnessed his array of curated films at The Harris can attest that this guy loves movies, knows movies, and excels at selecting movies he knows audiences will love, too.
In honor of the Harris Theater’s 92nd birthday, we asked Morrison some questions about the beloved Downtown institution:
Favorite movie you've brought to The Harris:
The Souvenir Part II or Aftersun are tied for this, two amazing films that wouldn't have played Pittsburgh without the Harris, and both ended up being some of my favorite films I've ever seen.
Movie that brought the biggest crowds:
Well, for a straight run nothing beats the annual Oscar Nominated Short Films, they're always one of the biggest things we do since we do them so well. But for a one-off, last year's screening of Nosferatu (1922), with an original live score by Tom Roberts, really blew the lid off the theater. We sold out one show, then added another which also sold out.
Most popular snack bar item:
The popcorn! Seriously. It's the best.
Best seat in the house:
From the back of the main auditorium, count six rows in, aisle seat. That's where I always sit.
Something you wish more people knew about The Harris:
That we've really circled back to the history of this theater, the only remaining one in Downtown. We consistently screen the very best of new international cinema, and it's no different now than it was all those 90 years ago, when the Harris was the Art Cinema. Everything we now consider a classic foreign film debuted to Pittsburgh audiences right here in this same auditorium.
Best Pittsburgh-made movie:
I'll always have a soft spot for Wonder Boys, since I worked on it briefly as a grip, and I love Michael Chabon. But really, the only answer, hands down, is Dawn of the Dead. It's a classic, with really wide-reaching influence that is still being felt among great filmmakers.
For a current line-up of what’s showing at the Harris Theater, visit trustarts.org/pct_home/visit/facilities/harris-theater