Downtown Springfield Association
The lobby of Moxie Cinema
Downtown Business Spotlight

Moxie Cinema prepares to reopen to the public

July 02, 2020


Movie lovers, hang in there. It will be time to rejoice soon.

Moxie Cinema, Downtown Springfield’s community-supported arthouse theater, will be opening its doors again soon. But not just yet.

Mike Stevens and crew had hoped and planned for a July 10 reopening, but are shifting plans after a surge in COVID-19 cases nationwide. That public reopening is delayed, but you can rent Moxie Cinema for private events. Email them for details.

Reopening plans

The decision to close the doors March 16 was a tough one for the Moxie. They’re excited to get back to showcasing great films, but want to do so responsibly. Here is their plan for reopening:

  • Ticket sales will be limited to 25% of seat capacity
  • Only certain seats will be available to ensure proper social distancing in the theatres and facilitate cleaning
  • Staff will wear face masks and have their temperature taken upon arrival
  • Customers will be required to wear face masks unless eating or drinking
  • They will require everyone to answer health screening questions and leave contact information to facilitate contact tracing if the need arises
  • Customers are encouraged to purchase tickets online or use All high touch-point areas will be cleaned and disinfected regularly, including seats, armrests and cupholders, between every screening
  • They will add an additional 30 minutes between every screening to reduce crowd overlap in the lobby and allow additional time for cleaning between shows
  • Entrances and exits have been shifted to reduce lobby congestion
  • They have installed touchless faucets in the bathrooms and hand sanitizer stations in the lobby

The Moxie will continue to monitor this situation and, with the guidance of the Springfield-Greene County Health Department and local officials, update procedures as needed. Let them know if you have any questions.

Support your local cinema

Want to support the Moxie in the meantime? There are a few ways to do that. 

First, consider purchasing a membership. Roughly 50% of each ticket sold goes directly to the distributor to pay for film rights. Memberships help cover those costs and come with some great perks, including discounted tickets, free screenings, cheap popcorn and more!

You can also enjoy a film from the comfort of your home thanks to their virtual screening rooms. You rent the film to screen in your home and the Moxie gets a share of the rental fee. Current movies include “Ella Fitzgerald: Just One Of Those Things,” “Hill Of Freedom” and “Miss Juneteenth.” Upcoming screenings include “Marona’s Fantastic Tale” and “John Lewis: Good Trouble.”