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WESTHAMPTON BEACH, NY — The curtain rose Friday on a beautiful new chapter for a beloved movie theater in Westhampton Beach.
A ribbon-cutting was held to unveil the newly renovated space, now named the Sunset Theater, located at 2 Brook Road — and an excited crowd turned out to cheer, filled with joy that the movie theater, which has held such a special place in hearts and memories for decades, is now back in its new, and beautifully remodeled, incarnation.
Inge Debyser, along with three other partners, poured their souls into seeing the theater reborn over three years of renovations.
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Shuttered since the pandemic, the former Hampton Arts Theater was listed for sale at $1.1 million in 2022.
Debyser, who lives in the Village of Westhampton Beach — she “does everything by foot and on a bike”— is also a real estate broker. And, although she has passed the theater a number of times a day, she was surprised to learn that the iconic structure was for sale.
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Like so many, Debyser was fearful that the final curtain had fallen. “I thought, ‘It’s never going to be a movie theater again.’ I thought it would become an office building or something else. I saw photos of the theater from 1927 and realized that to lose this building would really be a shame. It may have been dilapidated, but it was so beautiful. And so, the wheels started spinning,” she said.
Debyser, who has a background in residential home building, admittedly didn’t know much about commercial projects, “and definitely not about movie theaters and what they needed,” but what she did have was heart and passion for the project. She researched and learned and put the numbers together — and then, embarked upon a leap of faith that saw a dream realized.
First, Debyser said she reached out to “people who have the same love for old buildings and conservation. I started calling people I knew — and to be honest, I found them pretty fast. Two weeks later, we were in contract.”
Lisa Finn / Patch
Debyser said she and her co-founders, Samantha Adam, Laurence Verbeke, and a fourth, silent investor, were four women who “all had a lot of children,” and had precious memories created at the theater. “We all said, ‘The children in the village, they really need this,'” she said. The school being so close to the theater was another strong motivation, Debyser said.
Their collective vision was a “venue without a threshold,” where couples could go for date night, families would bring the kids, people might go alone to soak up a film, teens could walk to the movies by themselves, and women would meet for girls’ nights — all feeling equally comfortable.
Lisa Finn / Patch
To revive the theater, many hours of labor were needed: Structural work, including new steel reinforcements, was key, Debyser said. “Once we decided to do it, we wanted to do it well, for the next generation,” she said. The theater was made ADA compliant, which meant a new floor and elevator — and a new roof was needed.
Lisa Finn / Patch
And then, there was the interior. Jaws literally dropped as the crowd entered the movie theater for the first time Friday, commenting on memories of what had once been a drafty space, with a leaking roof — as they breathed in the beauty of what was now an impeccably appointed new space.
Lisa Finn / Patch
Indeed, the Sunset Theater was ready for its closeup, with stunning Art Deco accents, including a huge, sparkling chandelier, touches of sophisticated gold and velvet meant as an homage to the 1927 Art Deco facade — and soft, plush theater seats. Moviegoers were welcomed immediately upon entering by a cozy concession area with café tables.
Lisa Finn / Patch
Creating a welcoming space was very much an integral part of her dream, Debyser said. “Today, with so much more availability, with movie-streaming services — although I personally think those compete more with traditional television than movie theaters, because with theaters, it’s about the collective experience — it all had to be part of the transformation. I want audiences to go there because it feels right, it’s beautiful, with a nice ambiance — that’s part of the vision.”
And upstairs, a brand-new bar was built, key to the success of the renovation, Debyser said.
“We really want it to become the place where people come to connect,” she said. “Whether they want to talk about the movie at the bar, or about anything in their lives — for the vision to succeed, it has to be more than just a theater. It has to be a place where people connect. That was so important.”
She added: “We want this to be a place you can rely on, that’s open seven days a week. The project would not have made sense without the bar, which will help drive revenue.”
The plan is to show first-run movies, but with the industry at the “tail end of the writers’ strike,” when there are fewer new releases, there will be an array of classics, all blending into a carefully “curated repertoire,” Debyser said.
With the Sunset Theater opening Friday, this weekend, moviegoers can see “The Legend of Ochi,” as well as classics including “E.T.”, “The Iron Giant,” “The Fifth Element,” “Pulp Fiction,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” and “Mad Max: Fury Road.”
Lisa Finn / Patch
At the ribbon-cutting Friday, many reflected on the collective joy the community felt to see a new beginning for a treasured piece of the village’s past.
“The community is thrilled to have its theater back,” said Southampton Town Supervisor — and former Westhampton Beach Village Mayor — Maria Moore. “I’m very grateful to the owners for the care they put into the renovation. What a generous showing of community spirit!”
Current Westhampton Beach Village Mayor Ralph Urban thanked Debyser for all the work she has done. “This is more than we could have hoped. I have fond memories of this building,” he said. “Because, when I was dating — I hate to say, over 60 years ago — I came to this movie theater. I have fond memories — and it’s better now than it was then.”
Next, Bo Bishop, president of the Greater Westhampton Historical Museum, presented Debyser and her associates, “who brought this theater to fruition” with a Historical Preservation Award.
Lisa Finn / Patch
He gave a history of the iconic structure. The Westhampton Beach movie theater, Bishop said, dates back to the 1920s. In 1927, Harry E. Nugent opened the Hampton Star Theater at Six Corners, he said.
“It was the first motion picture theater in the Village of Westhampton Beach. If you wanted to go have that type of entertainment before that time, you had to go to the larger towns.”
Unfortunately, the theater was substantially damaged by fire in 1932 but, “after a patient, diligent effort, Mr. Nugent restored the building and the theater was reopened in 1947 as the Westhampton Theater at Six Corners.”
The building became home to theatrical groups and performances, he said. In 1951, a famous radio and television announcer leased the theater, and called it the Westhampton Playhouse; it was billed as the “largest summer theater,” as it sat over 700 people, Bishop said.
The award, he continued, is given to significant individuals who have undertaken substantial historic preservation activity in the Greater Westhampton area.
“The recipients of this award have demonstrated such activity,” he said. “They have restored the theater to a state-of-the-art facility, creating an efficient contemporary use while preserving those portions and features of the theater which are significant to its historic, architectural and cultural values.”
(Video by Lisa Finn)
As the crowd cheered, Debyster said: “This is a big honor. A lot of people ask me, ‘Why did you do this?’ It is this love for buildings with a soul. These iconic buildings in a small village are very important to me. I would have hated to see this beautiful building be demolished. So we took upon the task of renovating it, and we brought back its Old Hollywood, Art Deco, nostalgic vibe. And now it’s up to the community to make it what I hope it will be. A place where you’ll share memories for many, many more years to come.”
The crowd headed inside to see the space, where they were greeted warmly, sharing free popcorn and cocktails at the new bar.
Outside, a group of kids told Patch why they were so excited to welcome the new movie theater. “It’s so close to my house,” one said. “It’s walking distance from our school!”
Lisa Finn / Patch
From her first memories, seeing a movie at the theater has always been a touchstone for Debyser. “When I was a child, when I went to the movies, I always felt ‘home’. Something in your hands that you like to eat. It’s like a blanket on your sofa. I really love the ambiance of the movie theater. The comfort of the darkness — yet you’re not alone. The big screen draws you in, immerses you. I’ve really enjoyed that, since the first time I saw a movie in a theater when I was five years old. It’s always been the same, every time I got to a movie. Movies are my blanket on the sofa. They’re magical.”
Lisa Finn / Patch
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