The owner of The Allen Theatre, Skip Hicks, always had a the desire to operate a small business and was always interested in movies. After Skip’s mother Mary Jane, won the lottery in 1989, Skip was able to convince his mother to buy the location where movies were once shown in The Hippodrome and The Astor.
   Mary Jane purchased The Theatre for Skip in 1991. They tore out the old seats and hired Carol Hickey, a professional architect to build an aesthetically pleasing design and layout of The Theatre. Skip had a desire to design the theatre with the art deco design, based on Radio City Music Hall.
   The coffeehouse was not part of the original plan for the theatre; but they wanted a place where they could offer not only a concession stand, but a place to sit down as well. They looked at the appliance store next door to the theatre and decided it would be the perfect location to expand. They tore a hole in the wall during renovations to connect the two. In the years to come, the coffeehouse expanded its menu to include sandwiches based on customer request.
   Skip wanted to name the theatre and coffeehouse something positive after the bad reputation the theatre had in the years past. He also wanted a two syllable name for the theatre. Skip finally decided on The Allen Theatre in dedication of his father, Allen; and MJ’s Coffeehouse after his mother, Mary Jane. The Allen Theatre & MJ’s Coffeehouse opened on September 21, 1995.

   What makes The Allen Theatre special is its dedication to a cinematic atmosphere. By combining both Art Deco style and the golden age of cinema, a nostalgic yet unique time. Here, it is not just about the movie - it is about the experience.
   Art Deco is a French architectural form characterized by extravagant ornamentation, striking geometry, luxurious colors, and heavy symmetry. It embraces technology and is an offspring of the Art Nouveau art style. When renovated in the 90’s, a decision was made to focus the aesthetic on Art Deco - with red, black, and neon color schemes in particular. Radio City Music Hall in New York City was used as a reference for the Art Deco style.
   Before each film at The Allen, music is played (often times live by guest performers) to ease in the viewers, followed by a personal introduction and welcoming by one of the workers in the front of the auditorium. A red curtain will then draw to unveil the movie screen. While having an old feel, a newly installed digital projector and high quality sound system keep the core movie viewing experience up to par with the best cinemas.

   For a while, The Allen Theatre was a second run theatre only, taking after The Hippodrome and The Astor. As a small, new theatre, they could not obtain any big movies, leaving them with slightly older films that most people had already seen. This changed when Jumangi (1995) could not be shown in a nearby theatre in Lebanon, giving the theatre an opportunity to finally show a bigger movie when it was still newly released. Ever since then, the establishment has been a first run theatre.
   Some of the biggest movies held at The Allen Theatre include Titanic (1997), The Passion of Christ (2004), and Star Wars (2015). Because of the inability to show more than one movie at a time, much thought is put into the choice of each film. A balance is struck between both independent art films and bigger popcorn movies. Regardless of the genre, the choice is ultimately based on quality.
   Randal Kleiser, the original director of Grease, and Michael Constantine, actor in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, have visited over the course of the theatre’s history.
   The MJ’s Coffeehouse connected to the Allen Theatre was not initially intended to play such a large role in the theatre, but it became increasingly popular so the menu was eventually expanded. Over the years, MJ’s became a popular locale for hosting numerous community events and clubs, many of which were put on by students of Lebanon Valley College, one block away from the theatre.
   As a first run movie theatre, The Allen Theatre is open 365 days a year - even on holidays. Through word of mouth, its popularity had slowly risen to be a favorite of both locals and visitors. In 2010, Moviefone named the theatre one of the "12 Best Local Theatres in America".
   Over $70,000 was donated in the span of a few weeks by Friends of Old Annville, nearby theatres, and the community out of a desire to see the theatre continue and prosper. This money was recently used to purchase a new digital projector and enhanced sound system, as well as perform various other small renovations to the building.

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