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Taproot Theatre


2001 Photo from the Dave Felthous collection.
204 N 85th St
Seattle WA

Live Theatre
Record #15848  
 Opened:
Capacity:
Architect(s):
Architectural Style(s):
National Register:
Current Organ: none
 Also Known As: Greenwood, Rainbow, Grand, North End, Movie House
 Previously operated by: Sterling Theatres

Information for this tour was contributed by Dave Felthous.

The Grand was an ordinary neighborhood house, but for years it had the distinction of being on the county side of the then-city limits of Seattle. Back then, a Censor Board screened all films booked to play in the city, and it was known to ordered cuts or ban pictures altogether. So for many years the Grand got the movies that couldn't play inside the city.

That changed in 1955 when Seattle annexed 60 northern blocks of what been incorporated King County, and the Grand lost its unique situation. It then relied on "B" movies and "A" films that were on their third time around.

In the 1960s the Grand became the North End Cinema and converted to porn films for a period. Then it was bought by the Seven Gables circuit and renamed The Movie House. Seven Gables tried classic revivals and offbeat arthouse fare, changing the name once again, this time to the Greenwood Cinema to reflect the neighborhood.

Seven Gables eventually shut down the Greenwood and it sat idle for some time before being purchased by the local Taproot Theater Company, which spent several years tastefully refurbishing the building and remodeling the auditorium into a theater-in-the-round and backstage facility.



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Last featured 2002-12-27. Last edited 12/30/2023.


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