Kelly Strayhorn Theater (5941 Penn Ave)

The Kelly Strayhorn Theater is a rarity in East Liberty, because it is still serves the original function it had over a century ago when it was the Regent Theatre. In the early 1900s, East Liberty was an entertainment center as well as a commercial district. At one time there were a total of seven movie houses along Penn and Highland Avenues. Pittsburgh was at the forefront of the emerging film industry in the early 1900s—America’s first nickelodeon was downtown on Smithfield Street. As the film industry expanded downtown, it spilled over into East Liberty. The Regent Theatre was a part of that wave when it opened as a silent film house in 1914. As East Liberty’s commercial district declined, every theater has been demolished except the Regent.

Over the past century the Regent closed and reopened multiple times as the community struggled to save it. The most recent reopening occurred in 2001 when it opened as a community performing arts center and was renamed the Kelly Strayhorn. The renaming reflects the community focus of the venue—actor/dancer Gene Kelly lived in East Liberty and jazz pianist/composer Billy Strayhorn lived in neighboring Homewood. Both artists had strong roots in the area. Kelly went to Peabody High School and Strayhorn attended Westinghouse High.

The theater’s rebirth reflects the economic revitalization of the neighborhood since the early 2000s. However, this renewal has a negative side in that rising property prices threaten to displace residents who have lived here for years. As a community-focused center, the KST has worked to bring attention to gentrification. In 2016, it hosted a screening event for local filmmaker Chris Ivey’s documentary “East of Liberty”, which addresses the growing concerns over the displacement of the neighborhood’s African American community.

Sources:

Abels, Caroline. "A Church Will Be the Salvation of East Liberty's Regent Theater." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 20 June 2000.

Aronson, Michael. Nickelodeon City: Pittsburgh at the Movies, 1905-1929. University of Pittsburgh Press: Pittsburgh, Pa, 2008.

“Clark’s Regent to be a Fine One.” Pittsburgh Moving Picture Bulletin 1, no 1. April 15, 1914. Historic Pittsburgh Text Collection. University of Pittsburgh. Accesed at https://www.historicpittsburgh.org/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735066981923

McAvey, Maureen, Tom Murphy and Bridget Lane. “East Liberty: A Pittsburgh Neighborhood.” in Reaching for the Future: Creative Finance for Smaller Communities. Washington, DC: Urban Land Institute, 2016. Accessed at http://1rpdxl3vt3c61pdenf9k5xom-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/ULI-Documents/Creative-Finance-for-Smaller-Communities.pdf

O'Toole, Christine H. "A Theater by Any Other Name." H Magazine. Heinz Endowments Summer 2002: n. pag. Accessed at http://www.heinz.org/userfiles/library/h-su02-kellystrayhorn.pdf

Rawson, Christopher. “Renaming honors Kelly, Strayhorn.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 14, 2000.