Wandering Players Theatrics has signed a lease to convert Salem's former Cinebarre multiplex into a performing arts center. The Salem nonprofit plans to fill the seven-screen building at 501 Marion St. NE with live theater, music, comedy, dance and community events.
The 38,000-square-foot space sat empty since Regal Cinemas closed it in May 2025. Now it will become the theater company's first permanent home, according to the Statesman Journal.
Kelly McDonald, a partner in the building's ownership group, confirmed the rental agreement.
The group announced the deal on Facebook on Aug. 21. Its inaugural production, "Evil Dead The Musical," opens Friday, Oct. 23. Wandering Players staged the same show at Salem's Historic Grand Theatre in 2025.
Beyond theater, the nonprofit plans to host film screenings, visual arts, educational programming, workshops, festivals and a new restaurant, according to the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber credited Llayne Ngo of the Gilbert House Children's Museum for encouraging the group to join, and Jackie Roché, the Chamber's membership director, for connecting Wandering Players to resources that helped secure the lease.
The building has been owned by OGSC2 LLC, co-owned by Patrick Carney and Thomas Wettlaufer, since 2024. When Regal departed, local owners signaled plans to renovate the space, Salem Reporter reported in May 2025.
The space has history. The Cinebarre originally opened as Salem Centre Movieland in 1989 and was the first movie theater in Oregon to sell beer and wine.
Wandering Players described the project in its Aug. 21 announcement as something bigger than any one organization, calling it a hub for artists, performers, educators, entrepreneurs and the community. The nonprofit has launched a fundraising campaign at givebutter.com/ARTS4SALEM to support the conversion.
Regal still operates two Salem cinemas: Regal Willamette Town Center and Regal Santiam. Tickets for "Evil Dead The Musical" evening and matinee performances are available at salemshg.com.
Coming up:
- Oct. 23: "Evil Dead The Musical" opens at the new Wandering Players venue, 501 Marion St. NE
