The Middlebury Marquis announced on March 31 that it would temporarily close for its renovation project until May 1. The project will focus on exterior aesthetics, creating a vintage-inspired facade for the front of the theater featuring bold colors, bright lights and other art deco-inspired elements. The new look is meant to evoke a sense of nostalgia for classic movie theaters, including a vertical sign with blue and cream colors often seen in the art deco style.
According to Ben Wells, the owner of the Marquis, the vision for the design evolved through trial and error.
“We had a design that was not approved by the town and we kind of went back to the drawing board,” Wells said. “We decided long ago against doing any sort of like, big three-sided thing that comes out with bare light bulbs.”
With a 100-year-old building, renovations are pretty much nonstop for the Marquis. Since buying the theater, Wells has overseen the installation of a new roof, furnace, seating, sound, lights, laser projectors, and screens.
This specific renovation is the second stage in a larger project. The first stage was a repair of the overhang on the exterior of the building with a stucco that partially collapsed in December 2023, blocking the front door and forcing the Marquis to close temporarily.
Phase two is now focused on curb appeal, though Wells believes its value extends far beyond appearances.
“We want to be a comfort spot for people…There's a lot of stress in the world. It's important to me that there's a space for this community to relax, to go out to see other people, to see friends, to celebrate…and movies are a story form that's written and made and produced to be viewed in a shared experience,” Wells said.
Built in 1919 as a Vaudeville theater with a single showing space, the Marquis transitioned into a movie theatre in the 1950s. Since then, it expanded to three screens and later returned to two under Wells.
Movie theaters all over the country are shutting down due to financial trouble, particularly small town theaters. Despite these trends, the Marquis is surviving, largely due to its diversified revenue streams from its attached restaurant, trivia night, birthday parties, bingo and comedy shows, according to Wells. He pointed out that people still come to the movies themselves, even when they could access them with just a click of a button at home. Wells believes that movie theaters are not just about movies — they are also community gathering centers.
“There've been a variety of studies over the years. Small towns that have a movie theater, there are many economic indicators that those towns do much better. There's a higher quality of life,” Wells said.
Middlebury College students have felt the impact of the Marquis’ temporary closure. Many frequent the theater not just for the films, but for its unique atmosphere.
“I like the comfy chairs down there. It's not a traditional movie theater. It feels more homey and cozy,” Ella Powers ’27 said.
“It's the only movie theater I've ever been to where you can sit on a couch,” Birch Banks ’25 said. “They also have that big poster rack outside of old posters. I've actually gotten a number of posters from my room from there.”
Some students said they are disappointed about the temporary closure, while others felt excited about the renovation.
“I was actually really saddened by [the closure], though. I was really excited to see the Minecraft movie there and the renovations happened right before,” Banks added.
“I think that [the new facade] is awesome. I'm always for anything vintage or antique,” Powers said.
As the Marquis prepares to reopen, anticipation is growing among town residents and students alike. The space is expected to reopen for trivia on May 1 and for movie screenings the following day.
