When the Beach Theatre reopened its doors last summer after more than a decade of silence, it wasn’t just a building coming back to life. It was a homecoming. For owner Hannah Hockman, who runs the theatre alongside her parents, Sissy and Ron, the journey began long before the marquee lit up again.
“I first fell in love with the Beach Theatre back in 2017,” she says. “That was the first time I’d heard about it and I learned about it from the Gulf Beaches History Museum over in Pass-a-Grille and I always hoped to be a part of the reopening but never dreamed it would be in this capacity.”
What followed was persistence, research, and a steady belief that the historic cinema could once again be a cultural anchor for St. Pete Beach. “Things just kind of kept happening one thing after another. We kept being persistent and trying to figure out the history of the property and how to be a part of the reopening. And so now we’re here.”
The first year has been filled with milestones. “We just hit the 16,000 ticket sale mark, which felt like a pretty big deal,” Hockman says. “We hit around 10,000 around Valentine’s Day. So that was crazy for us.”
The programming has been wide‑ranging, from films to concerts to cabarets. One moment stands out above the rest. “I got to work with some like local legends like Larry Alexander, Kristin Cabrone, Elizabeth Meckler, John Pérez, and Juan Rodriguez… to me like that is like my dream team for anything.” She also loved working with her stage and summer camp managers: “Chloe DiPaola, Ivy Sunflower, and Kiara Byron – I just absolutely adore them.”
From the beginning, Beach Theatre’s revival has been shaped by the people who walk through its doors. “We definitely listen to what the community wants to see,” Hockman explains. That responsiveness led to an early partnership with the Hello In There Foundation, which approached the theatre just 11 days after opening. Their first screening “sold out immediately,” and community demand pushed the theatre to add multiple additional showings, all of which sold out as well.
The same thing happened with The Green Flash, the theatre’s most popular film to date. “It’s a story about a local gentleman who lived out here, Steve Lamb… people just love seeing his story. So we play it pretty regularly because it’s just what people want to see.” That connection has become a defining part of the theatre’s identity. “We really have this like fluid communication with our audience, which is really cool.”
One of the biggest surprises of the year has been the joy of running the theatre as a family. “Working with my parents – they’re the best,” Hockman says. “My mom runs the box office, my dad pops the popcorn. I’m usually checking people out of the concession stand and then starting the movie.” Their small team has become a point of pride. “My staff is tiny but mighty. Shoutout and thanks to Nick Stantz, our operations manager and Kim Graves, our volunteer coordinator. I really didn’t think a theater of our size would be able to do as much as we get done every day.”
Honoring the theatre’s 86‑year history has been central to the reopening. Right after launching, the theatre screened Golden Eye, directed by former owner Mike France. “We wanted to really honor his history,” she says. At the grand opening, they staged a James Bond tribute medley in his honor. More recently, a screening of Singin’ in the Rain brought longtime patrons back to the seats where they first fell in love with movies. “They were now coming in much older now, and with their walkers and wheelchairs. They just absolutely loved seeing it in the same place.”
Though known for film and concerts, Beach Theatre is quickly becoming a home for live performance. Their first play festival launched in September with “two plays, one musical, three different performances.” Since then, they’ve hosted touring youth productions through Bay Area Performing Arts and Casting, an organization Hockman praises deeply. “They’re an incredibly talented group… they always just do the absolute best quality work.” This summer marks a major milestone: the theatre’s first full‑length in‑house production, What the Constitution Means to Me, opening June 26. On July 31, they’ll perform The Last Five Years.
If there’s one thing Hockman has learned, it’s that audiences love seeing themselves reflected on screen. “People love representation from the local community,” she says. Films like Summer Rental, which features a clip of the Beach Theatre itself, have become crowd favorites. “People really care about things where they either see themselves or see the area that they live in represented.”
As the theatre plans its first anniversary celebration, Hockman hints at a blend of nostalgia and forward momentum. “We are definitely going to honor the history and what this theater has been through in the last 86 years. And then also just what our little staff has been through in the last year and make some really cool announcements about where we decide to go in the future with the building.”
And year two? The focus is clear. “We definitely want to focus more on live theater, create this inclusive atmosphere that supports both young artists that are learning in their artistry and then also local professionals.”
After a year defined by community, creativity, and heart, Hockman sums it up simply: “I’m just so excited!” •
Learn more about Beach Theatre at https://www.thebeachtheatre.org.
