ROW HOUSE CINEMA TO BRING ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT TO THE SOUTH HILLS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DENIS THEATRE FOUNDATION

Lawrenceville, PA & Mt. Lebanon, PA – August 30, 2023 -- Row House Cinema and The Denis Theatre Foundation today announced a special collaboration between the two to bring film and arts entertainment back to the South Hills.

Under a signed agreement, The Denis, based in Mt. Lebanon, and Row House, based in Lawrenceville, will seek funding to rebuild and reopen the historic Denis Theatre in Mt. Lebanon’s uptown business area on Washington Road.

Upon renovation of the now-empty Mt. Lebanon building, The Denis will lease the facility to Row House Cinema to operate a state-of-the-art, three-screen theater, restaurant, and bar in the heart of Mt. Lebanon’s business district.

Brian Mendelssohn, owner of Row House Cinema, and Jon Delano, president of The Denis Theatre Foundation, hailed the partnership as a “win-win” for residents of the South Hills and both organizations.

“Brian and his team bring an exceptional leadership style to film and entertainment in this region, and we are delighted to partner with him so that residents throughout the South Hills and on the T-line can enjoy a unique experience at The Denis,” said Delano.

“We are thrilled to be involved with this project and intend to make The Denis a unique and exciting entertainment destination that will strengthen the regional film scene,” said Mendelssohn. “We have learned a lot about operating a community cinema in the last nine years in Lawrenceville and look forward to bringing that knowledge and experience to the South Hills.”

“Reopening the Denis will strengthen the Pittsburgh film scene as a whole,” Mendelssohn said.  “Lawrenceville and Mt. Lebanon have different personalities, and we look forward to developing programming in the South Hills that will fit its unique venue.”

Under the arrangement, The Denis Theatre Foundation will have use of The Denis for special programming for young and old, cultural arts discussions, and the wide variety of panel discussions The Denis has sponsored in recent years often in collaboration with diverse community groups.

To make this happen, said Delano, construction money will need to be raised by the Denis Theatre Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, that purchased the building in 2010 and will continue to own the building on behalf of the community.

“The Denis will need full community, foundation, business, and governmental support for this project, and we are grateful to Row House for their pledge of a substantial contribution,” said Delano. “This is really our chance to reopen a theater and cultural arts center in the heart of the South Hills.”