Tom Nigro is ready to reopen his Park Theater in Cobleskill. All he needs is a movie.
His historic theater closed by the pandemic since March 15, Mr. Nigro received clearance from the Schoharie County Health Department on Thursday.
That followed Governor Andrew Cuomo’s order in late October for theaters to reopen with safety precautions. For the Park, the precautions mean no more than 50 people watching a movie, mandatory masks and social distancing.
“No more than 50. That’s the biggest thing,” Mr. Nigro said Friday. “But we got the green light.”
The problem now is getting a movie. Major studios are holding movies back because of limited audiences; also Disney is pulling some of its movies for video on demand, Mr. Nigro said.
He uses a booking service to secure movies, “and they aren’t answering him so he can’t tell me.”
Only “two movies of any quality” are available now, Mr. Nigro said, and “there are a lot of unknown titles” that he’s reluctant to book.
“We’re good to go as soon as someone gets me a good movie,” he said.
Cobleskill and Schoharie County haven’t forgotten the Park Theater. On Halloween afternoon, Mr. Nigro placed free candy outside the theater and got a strong response.
“From 3pm to 5pm, it was non-stop, kids and parents,” he said. “I went through 50 cases of candy.”
Mr. Nigro will reopen the Park as soon as possible.