Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Theater or Theatre?

This is topic Theater or Theatre? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Thomas Pitt (Member # 4322) on 06-05-2007, 05:30 PM:

What do you call a place where movies are shown? It's my understanding that Theater is the US spelling and Theatre is the UK spelling, but we call them 'cinemas' over here. In the UK, a Theatre is a place with a stage and live actors doing a performance!

I've seen "Theater", "Theatre" and "Cinema" used interchangeably on this forum - is there one proper correct term?

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-05-2007, 05:34 PM:

Theater.

"Theatre" looks pretentious and, well, retarded.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 06-05-2007, 05:50 PM:

This topic has been raised before.

FWIW, we decided to require the industry to use the spelling: THEATRE.

Posted by Jim Bedford (Member # 4) on 06-05-2007, 05:58 PM:

Both are acceptable in almost all dictionaries (other than Joe's.) "Theatre" has been more commonly used for performing art venues (live and film) and "theater" for other uses (theatre of war, medical operating theater, etc.) Many newer film venues use "theater" to prove they are modern and up-to-date. As usual, Wiki has a good overview Wikipedia Theatre/Theater

Luci and I run the Nugget Theatre in Telluride, CO, but then there are the Nugget Theaters in Hanover, NH. (America's only two Nuggets BTW.) We decided on "Theatre" because it is cool, retro, says performing arts, we didn't want to be confused with that other Nugget and is only slightly pretentious.

You want retarded, this is retarded.... [joe]

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-05-2007, 06:16 PM:

Ours is a "Theatre" because that's the way it's always been and there's no reason to change it, especially to kow-tow to the modern media.