The Wildey Theatre

Saw Blazing Saddles there; it was my first experience at the Wildey, and I loved it. The theater maintains it's original old time look while the inside has definitely been brought up to the ages. The popcorn and other concessions are extremely reasonable in price, which was a fantastic surprise. They show a variety of film genres from all decades and often have some sort of live act as well (a band, play, storyteller, etc). Almost anyone will be able to find something they will enjoy during any given month at the Wildey.  
 
One suggestion Wildey:
 When showing some of the cult classics, or any film for that matter, it would be fun for someone to ask some trivia questions about the film before the film begins, or fun questions like "Who drove the farthest to come here?" Prizes could easily be: a free popcorn, candy, soda, ticket, etc. Just a fun idea to increase the experience.

Take the time and support our local theater, it's worth it!

Let's get the pronunciation right: It's the "Wile"-"dee" Theater, with a long "I" sound. If you're a fan of the old roadrunner cartoon, then you might try to remember that it rhymes with "Wile E." Coyote.

This is an old place in Edwardsville, with a history going back to at least 1909. It seemed to die in 1984, its last show being "The Big Chill." Twenty-seven years later, the Wildey has reopened. If you live in Edwardsville, then you know that the Wildey renovation has been a big deal, accomplished at a great cost, over a span of several years, championed by several community leaders.

First impressions: When you enter the main door, there's an antique shop to the left, wine bar to the right, and concessions straight ahead. Hallways left and right of concessions lead to the main floor, and stairways left and right lead to balcony. Once in the theatre, you'll find the stage and/or screen are of modest size, but the interior is well designed and proportioned. We checked out the main floor, but decided to sit in the balcony, front row. The sound is pretty good, and it's a fun place to see a film.

After our visit (for a showing of "Jaws"), we stepped into the "Encore Wine Bar" for just a moment. It's a cozy space full of rich, dark wood, so freshly finished you can still smell a hint of varnish. Reports from friends are promising, and we'll be back to visit.

Like many places in old E'ville, parking for the Wildey may be difficult to find. You might want to download the map from the Wildey's website with officially sanctioned parking areas, just in case you don't see a space open on Main Street. Personally, I prefer to park down College Street to the east.