Panida Theater Rating: [1 Votes]

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The Panida (pronunciation: "rhymes with Canada") Theater is a small community theater in Sandpoint, Northern Idaho in the United States of America. The theater was built as a vaudeville and movie house by F.C. Weskil in 1927. Deriving its name from "the PANhandle of IDAho", The Panida opened as a vaudeville and movie house in 1927, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Past performers have included Bonnie Raitt, Arlo Guthrie, Wynton Marsalis, and Mitch Miller. Actor Viggo Mortensen began his acting career at The Panida.

After fading into disrepair from lack of maintenance and interest, a group of community members formed a nonprofit organization which bought the theater in 1985. The Panida Theater is operated through a nonprofit corporation under the direction of a board of trustees, elected at an annual meeting of theater members (persons who donate time or money to the theater and/or attend events). Day to day operations are overseen by an Executive Director, hired by the board of trustees. Karen Bowers has held the position of Executive Director since 1987.

In addition to performance events, including some locally produced, the theater is also a film venue, showing award-winning films such as You and Me and Everyone We Know and Paradise Now in a film series entitled "the Global Cinema Café," as well as selections from the Banff Mountain Film Festival.
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City: Sandpoint
County: Bonner
Address: 300 N. 1st Ave.
Zip: 83864
Phone Number: 208-263-9191
Category: Historical Landmark
Recommended?
Yes: 1 / No: 0
Website: Panida Theater
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Musicinabottle
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Musicinabottle
Supporting Member

02-08-2011, 09:07 PM
Recommended? Yes

Watched movies there as a kid, then saw La Traviata by the San Francisco Opera Company after the theaters restoration. It was summer time and hot as hell in there, but I hear they now have air conditioning. The seats in the loft are soft and padded, but you can feel the springs in there. Still a great experience, and I highly recommend any venue there.