Harvard Square Theater to Reopen With New Screens

Harvard Square Theater, which closed Monday for extensive renovations is expected to reopen in November with two additional screens and an independently run pizza parlor in the theater's original lobby.

The management undertook the renovations to make better use of theater space and to cut down on energy costs. Theater Manager Mark Sommers said this week.

Each of the two new auditoriums will seat approximately 300 people. They are being constructed above the main floor of the original theater, which will have a seating capacity of 700.

The old 241/2 by 42 foot screen largest in the Boston area will be preserved during the renovations, Sommers said noting that the current trend is toward many small screens under one roof.

Alpine Restaurants, which owns two Ruggles Pizza Parlors in Boston will open its third in the theater's original lobby, which faces Mass Ave and is no longer connected to the theater. The theater will have a new lobby on Church St.

Live concerts, which in the past have featured Bruce Springteen and The Clash will probably not be offered in the smaller theater, Sommers said.

He added that ticket prices might rise as a result of the changes.