Evelyn Theatre

The Evelyn Theatre is a movie theater and events center located at 705 S. Bliss Ave. in downtown Dumas, Texas, United States. It operates as a single-screen cinema showing first-run films at 7:00 PM, with ticket prices of $10 for adults and $8 for children and seniors, and also functions as a live entertainment and private events venue under the name Evelyn Theatre & Events Center. The venue offers professional Dolby Surround Sound, what it describes as the largest screens in Dumas, high-speed internet, customizable event setups, and food and beverage service including catering and BYOB options. Live music and other performances are booked through Evelyn Theatre Live. The theater has a long local history. Randy Nies began working there at age 12 under managers Marge and Mutt McMurray, when the theater was owned by the Powell family and still used carbon-arc projectors requiring reel changes every 15 to 20 minutes. Nies witnessed the transition to xenon bulbs in the early 1980s. The Evelyn went digital on Friday, August 1, 2014, installing new Dolby sound systems. In 2017 it closed briefly for a major remodel and reopened in December 2017 with updated seating and sound. In 2020 the theater expanded into hosting live events, concerts, and private events. The Evelyn Theatre serves as a community entertainment anchor in Dumas, a small city in the Texas Panhandle. It combines traditional movie exhibition with event rentals for private parties, gaming events, and family nights. The venue can be contacted at (806) 935-4005 or (806) 935-3621, and maintains a presence on Facebook and eBay for listings. It is a private, locally operated business.

The Evelyn Theatre is a historic movie theater in downtown Dumas, Texas. Its early history is tied to local ownership: at one point it was owned by the Powell family, and managed by Marge and Mutt McMurray. Randy Nies began working at the theater at age 12 under the McMurrays. At that time, the theater used carbon-arc projectors, which required reel changes every 15 to 20 minutes. In the early 1980s, Nies witnessed the transition from carbon-arc to xenon bulb projection, a significant technological upgrade for the era. The theater continued to operate as a local cinema through the late 20th and early 21st centuries. A major modernization occurred on Friday, August 1, 2014, when the Evelyn Theatre went digital, installing brand new Dolby sound systems. This conversion to digital projection aligned the theater with industry-wide changes as film prints were phased out. In 2017, the Evelyn Theatre closed briefly for a major remodel. It reopened in December 2017 with updated seating, improved sound, and other enhancements. In 2020, the theater expanded its business model by opening the venue to host live events, concerts, and private events, branding this side of the operation as Evelyn Theatre Live. The venue now offers amenities such as professional Dolby Surround Sound, the largest screens in Dumas, hookups for external sound and computer equipment, high-speed internet, comfortable seating, customizable event setups, and food and beverage service including catering and BYOB options. As of the latest available information, the Evelyn Theatre continues to operate as a movie theater and events center, showing films at 7:00 PM and hosting private and live events. It remains a locally owned and operated business in Dumas, Texas.

• Randy Nies begins working at the Evelyn Theatre at age 12 under managers Marge and Mutt McMurray.

• The theater transitions from carbon-arc to xenon bulb projection in the early 1980s.

• The Evelyn Theatre goes digital on Friday, August 1, 2014, with new Dolby sound systems.

• The theater closes briefly for a major remodel in 2017 and reopens in December 2017 with updated seating and sound.

• In 2020, the Evelyn Theatre opens its venue to host live events, concerts, and private events.

A community-focused historic cinema and multi-use events venue in the Texas Panhandle, offering both movie exhibition and private/live event services.

• Movie screenings

  First-run films shown at 7:00 PM; tickets $10 adults, $8 children and seniors.

• Private event hosting

  Venue rental for private parties, gaming events, family nights, with customizable setup, catering, and BYOB.

• Evelyn Theatre Live

  Live music and performance bookings; call (806) 935-4005 for booking details.

1. 1Evelyn Theatre & Events Center – Movies, Live Events, & Private Eventsevelyntheatre.com
2. 2Evelyn Theatre - Wikidatawikidata.org