Modern Theatre

The Modern Theatre is a restored historic theater on Washington Street in downtown Boston, owned and operated by Suffolk University. It first opened in 1913 as a silent movie house, and in 1928, at the height of the Jazz Age movie palaces, it became the first venue in Boston to show a talkie, The Jazz Singer. Today it hosts plays and performances in an intimate 185-seat house with a lobby bar.

After sitting vacant for several decades, the building was restored by Suffolk University, which completed the work in 2010. The project helped complete the revitalization of the Washington Street theater district and paired the theater with a 200-bed student dormitory. Programming includes productions presented with outside companies, such as a staging of John Godber’s Bouncers with Visual City LLC, and some performances are open to the general public.

What to Know

• The theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
• It was designated a Boston Landmark in 1995.
• Walk-up tickets may be sold at the box office an hour before a performance, subject to availability.