Official Opening…

Tuesday, September 22nd, 1970

Opening of Schonell Theatre, 22 September 1970 by the Governor-General.Sir Paul Hasluck chats with actors Trevor Smith and Bob Wensely (who also served as UQ Union

President and Senate member).Photo courtesy of Fryer Library, University of Queensland

“…. Few St Lucia residents make full use of the facilities to be

found on their doorstep..To people directly associated with the University through

work or study, the large campus with its “KEEP OUT” signs may

seem a daunting place”

The Schonell would like to thank all patrons who came to our Theatre during the 1970’s, despite the KEEP OUT signs!

The high’s!

Schonell 1stsThe glory years of

cinema

1st Brisbane International Film Festival AUGUST 1992 here at the Schonell

1st Brisbane International Film Festival AUGUST 1992 here at the Schonell

THIS WEEK THE SCHONELL THEATRE WILL CREATE AN AUSTRALIAN RECORD BY

SCREENING 11 FEATURE FILMS IN ONE WEEK

THE SCHONELL TODAY WILL BECOME BRISBANES FIRST CONTINUOUS ART CINEMA

1st

InternationalFestival of Animation

At the Schonell….

live live live

Just a few of our live shows from through

the years

2004

The dance company (N.S.W.)

Sep, Oct

1977

1971

“THE Queensland University students’ “Revue 77” at the Schonell Theatre, St Lucia,

amounts to a campus triumph…

The Schonell Theatre was packed last night with a

capacity audience of 450, barracking the return of that

once annual revue-event which has not been annual

for years”DAVID ROWBOTHAM

1977

Movies movies moviesOur classics, our arthouse, our exclusives

The SCHONELL THEATREIs proud to announce that it

has been selected for The Australian premiere of

Woody Allen’sA NERVOUS ROMANCE

On Monday 1st August at 5.30pm

And we cordially invite you to be our guest

(ADMIT 2)

T.V.COLOUR TVVHSLASER DISCDVDDOWNLOADING

“Cinema owners are feeling the pinch again as colour television establishes itself in

Australia. Colour television sets will be in 50 per cent

of Australian homes by 1978….”

“…The current bingo craze, the T.A.B., soccer pools, more money being spent on drink, all cut down the amount of money

people can spend on going to the cinema” MR SIMPSON

“Since colour television began cinema audiences have gone down by 15 to 20 per

cent”

“Mr Chesterman said that “R” films were definitely making profits and when his

hard-top cinemas showed these films they were satisfactorily patronised.”

1977

“Colour movies on record albums are just a spin away from home television…

Two of America’s giant electronics companies are preparing to market picture players that

will plug into TV sets..

The two companies use rival systems – one with a stylus, the other with a laser beam…

Videodiscs made for one system can’t be played on the other…

“It will be a fight to the death” some TV and recording experts predict.

Others argue viewers aren’t ready for either system – that both will be a gigantic flop.”

CIRCA 1970’s

Goodbye little suburban cinemas….

“One of Brisbane’s oldest suburban cinemas, the Elite at Toowong, will screen its last programme

tomorrow night.

Lessee Mr. David McGowan, announcing the closure, said suburban theatres in Brisbane were

“on their last legs”…..

The Elite, which opened in the silent movie days, was regarded as Brisbane’s top suburban theatre,

along with the Savoy in Clayfield, in the World War II hey-day…

It was the first suburban theatre to show GONE WITH THE WIND after its first-run city release.

Former owner, Mr L H Ireland, said last night the most successful programme ever was a double

feature, PT-109 (the story of President Kennedy’s navy career) and one of the first CARRY ON

comedies.”

FILM screenings are to resume at the Student Union-owned Schonell Theatre at the University of Queensland after a break of almost two years.

The two screens at Brisbane's former home of alternative and independent cinema were shut down in June 2006. Student Union president Josh Young, whose Liberal team won the Student Union ballot last December on the "Fresh" slogan, is currently conducting a full-scale review of the union's $19 million operations on the St Lucia campus servicing 30,000 students.

A Labor-run student union closed the Schonell because of continuing losses by the cinemas.

Mr Young said: "It was obviously a business decision, but the decision to close the cinemas did not take into account their link with the pizza cafe on the Schonell terrace, and the relationship between the pizzas and the cinema.

"The pizza cafe ran at a handsome profit, but now, without the film screenings, the pizza cafe is no longer profitable."We're looking at reopening with limited screenings of second-run films to see what impact that will have on the pizza cafe operations

as well."The Schonell pizzas (named after film titles or film identities and made by chef Pietro Agnoletto) were a Brisbane icon, with customers

wanting take-aways travelling many kilometres to collect them.

The union is under strong pressure from the university administration to gut the Schonell's former Cinema 2 so it can be converted into performance space for drama students.

The main cinema auditorium – also used for performing arts – underwent a $3 million renovation in 2004 to upgrade facilities and to equip it for student lectures.

The university, in need of more lecture space, has use of this former between 9am and 4pm each day as a lecture hall."We think the Cement Box Theatre linked to the Schonell would be a more suitable venue for the drama students, and we'll argue

that," Mr Young said.

No firm date had been set to resume film screenings at the Schonell, Mr Young said, but he anticipated it could be within a few months.

"We've been talking to film distributors about access to films, and they are supporting our plan. We will be counting on support from the many people who expressed their dismay about the Schonell closing. They can help make the cinemas pay their way by coming out

here. It has to be made to work.“

He said the union had many ideas to revive the cinemas, including specially themed screening nights. More use could be made of live coverage of events such as State of Origin rugby league matches or filmed concerts.

The Schonell has continued to be rented for live theatre and dance performances from community groups.DES PARTRIDGE, COURIER MAIL, 12TH APRIL 2008

There has been a student-run theatre company based in the Schonell and Cement Box theatres since at least the 1970’s. It has gone by many names including (but not limited to) Shotgun Theatre, the Amardean players (that’s ‘Drama’ spelled backwards), A.C.R.O.N.Y.M

theatre and of course, Underground Productions. The one and only Geoffrey Rush performed in one of the first plays in the Cement Box, “Hamlet on Ice”, alongside other

notable names Ken Kennett and Bille Brown. Underground Productions came to being in 1999. The first season included “Bulldog Front”, written and directed by Marcel Dorney and “The Cement Box One Act Play Festival”, which was the precursor to our beloved BUGfest, a popular tradition for the company since 2000. Over the years, Underground has produced more than forty shows, with tens of thousands of audience members’ bottoms gracing the

Cement Box Theatre’s seats. Courtesty student theatre Australia

Following is a tribute to all that have performed at the CEMENT BOX..

These photo’s are from inside and outside the building, painted by cast and crew from each performance.

Whilst we have not been able to include every shot (too many) enjoy the memories.. Be warned.. Some titles are

alittle cheeky and rude!

The Cement Box was taken over by the University late 2009 and is now undergoing construction to provide a

new lecture and learning space.

Underground Productions now perform in Schonell’s Cinema 1.

Geoffrey Rush will open a foyer in his honour at UQ's Cement Box Theatre tonight – the place where he spent his student days making racy political statements and performing nude. ...

He believed The Cement Box hosted the first Hamlet on Ice performance and he thanked his lecturer Dr Bob Jordan for his love of drama.

“He just invested a great passion for the history of drama from late 19th Century up until a bit of a boom time really.

Rush received a UQ honorary doctorate in 1997 and was the Alumnus of the Year in 1998.

He is the guest of honour at the foyer opening, which starts at 5.30pm at The Cement Box. 28th JULY 2004 UQ NEWS

AUGUST 2004

The Cement Box was taken over by the University late 2009 and is now undergoing construction to provide a new lecture and learning space.

Underground Productions now perform in Schonell’s Cinema 1.

WE’RE STILL HERE!

Cinema was brought back in 2009 – our doors opened again with screenings of quality art house/foreign language/Australian film. We are struggling – but not giving up with our lovely patrons increasing week by week as word gets around…Our cinema prices remain at 2006 prices, and our goal is the same… to bring only the very best independent cinema.We’d like to thank JUMP STREET, MADMAN ENTERTAINMENT, HOPSCOTCH FILMS, ICON FILMS, RIALTO, PALACE, SHARMILL FILMS and all the other