Repertory
Classics on a real screen
Older films, restorations, and director series you can't catch at a first-run multiplex. Films that were made to be seen big and seen together.
321 N LBJ · San Marcos, Texas
Help bring the Showplace back
The Showplace Cinema is closed. We want to reopen it as a nonprofit cinema for repertory and cult films, with a film lending library anyone in town can use.
We are not asking for money. We are asking for your name, so the building's owners can see how many people want this.
0 people have signed so far.
What we want to build
A cinema run by and for San Marcos
A nonprofit cultural center in a building made for movies. Programmed by people who love film, open to everyone.
Cult & midnight
Movies that need a crowd
Late shows, double features, and the strange, beloved, quotable films that only work with a full room talking back to the screen.
Lending library
Borrow a film like a book
A physical library of movies on disc that members can check out and take home. Hard-to-find titles, local picks, and the canon, all on a shelf in the lobby.
Beyond that: a home for Texas State film students, local filmmakers, festivals, and community groups who need a room with a screen.
The plan
How we get the doors open
This takes a while. Here is the order we're doing it in, and where things stand today.
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Show there's a community behind it
We are hereCollect signatures and email sign-ups from people who would come to a reopened Showplace. This is the part you can help with right now.
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Meet the owners
NextBring that support to the building's owners, ask for a walkthrough, and talk about a path to bringing the cinema back.
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Form the nonprofit
LaterSeat a board of directors, incorporate in Texas, and apply for 501(c)(3) status so donations are tax deductible.
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Prove the demand
LaterHost pop-up screenings at other San Marcos venues to build an audience and show what the programming will look like.
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Restore and reopen
The goalRaise funds through the nonprofit, restore the building, and turn the projectors back on.
The petition
Help bring the Showplace back
I support reopening the Showplace Cinema in San Marcos as a nonprofit community cinema and film lending library.
What happens with your name
- We'll show the owners how many people signed, with names and ZIP codes. Your email stays with us.
- Updates are occasional and only about this project. Unsubscribe anytime.
- No donations, no fees. We'll never sell your information.
Supporter · Keepsake, not a ticket
Thank youYou're on the list. If you opted in to updates, you'll hear about opening plans and tickets first.
Signature–
The more names we bring to the owners, the better the conversation. Send this to anyone who misses the Showplace.
From the film blog
Reviews while we wait
Our writers cover repertory, cult, and new releases. The kind of films we want to show.
New reviews go up regularly on the Showplace film blog.
Questions
Good questions, straight answers
Is the Showplace open?
No. The Showplace Cinema at 321 N LBJ is closed. This site is a campaign to bring it back, and there are no screenings there right now.
Are you connected to the theater's owners?
No. Showplace Preservation Society is an independent group. We are not affiliated with Texas Cinema Corporation, which owns the building. We plan to reach out to them with the support this campaign gathers.
Are you raising money?
Not yet, and we won't take donations until we can do it properly: through a registered nonprofit or a fiscal sponsor, so your gift is tax deductible. Right now the most useful thing you can give is your name.
Does signing get me into opening night?
Signing doesn't reserve a seat, and one auditorium can't hold everyone who wants this back. That's a good problem to have. We plan to open with a full week of screenings instead of a single night, so more people can be there. Signers on the email list will hear about opening plans and tickets first.
What does "(forming)" mean?
The nonprofit is in the process of being set up. We're building community support first, then incorporating with a full board of directors and applying for 501(c)(3) status.
Who's behind this?
Showplace Preservation Society was started by Jesse Williams and Drake Touve, two film lovers who want a community cinema in San Marcos. If you'd like to help, check "I'd like to volunteer" when you sign.
What will you do with my information?
We'll share the number of signers, plus names and ZIP codes, with the building's owners and with local officials to show support. Emails stay private and are used only for project updates you opted into. We will never sell your information.