The Empire Theatre has applied for a Class T liquor license with the town of New Shoreham with the hearing set for November 4. According to owner Gary Pollard, The Empire had a liquor license many years ago, when it hosted live shows. Pollard says low attendance numbers at the live events led to giving up the license and focusing on movies instead.
The Class T license is specifically for what the Rhode Island General Laws refer to as “legitimate theater.” A legitimate theater is one “whose primary purpose is to provide a support system to deliver and coordinate various arts activities for the benefit of the communities they serve or which provide live, regularly-scheduled theatrical productions.”
In order to be a “legitimate theater,” there must be live performances, according to the state. Pollard says he is brainstorming for next summer, as the movie industry has struggled as of late. The pandemic gave people significant reasons to avoid crowding into an enclosed space, and theaters in many areas were shuttered for weeks and sometimes months. Subsequently, the movie industry released many movies to the various streaming services at the same time as the theatrical release, allowing people the
