About The Imperial Theatre
Over 20 Years ago the Capitol movie theatre was transformed into the Imperial Theatre by Theatre Sarnia.
Originally built as The Capitol Movie Theatre in 1936, the Capitol was lovingly restored between 1995 and 1997, in all of its Art Deco elegance, as indicated in the pictures of the foyer. It was transformed from the premiere movie-house of the 1930s to 1980s to a modern theatre for live performances and renamed the Imperial Theatre. Every seat in the house provides an excellent view of the stage. In fact, no seat is more than sixty feet from the stage. The acoustics are great. However, we have installed an infra-red hearing impaired system with loan-out devices for patrons who request them. We also have street level wheelchair access from the Theatre foyer to an accessibility suite specially designed for patrons with mobility issues.
The Imperial Theatre also houses the R. W. Lawton Gallery that hosts rotating displays by local Artists. The gallery provides an excellent meeting place before shows and during intermissions. Licensed bars are located in the Gallery on the main floor and in the Balcony lounge. A pre-ordering service is available to allow your drinks to be waiting for you at Intermission. Special care has been taken to apply the same Art Deco elegance that surrounds the Imperial to both bar areas. Indeed, as a nod to local heritage, the main floor Capitol bar is highlighted with letters from the original Capitol Theatre marquee and the balcony Lounge bar contains a curved section that was originally located at the Sarnia Armouries.
On The Imperial Stage
A glance at our coming events schedule, or the calendar to the left, will indicate the diverse nature of performances on the stage of the Imperial Theatre... from drama, comedy and musical theatre, from classical music, jazz and rock music... this theatre has it all!
To get tickets to any of our performances, click here.
To get information about renting space at the Imperial Theatre, contact baustin@imperialtheatre.net.
Imperial Theatre Staff
Executive Director
Brian Austin Jr. baustin@imperialtheatre.net
Production Manager
Catherine Soulliere csoulliere@imperialtheatre.net
Comptroller
Cherie Guthrie cguthrie@imperialtheatre.net