The Essanee theatre on Iberia Street in Downtown New Iberia is undergoing a renewal. Local theatre group IPAL now owns the building. 

The Iberia Performing Arts League has held its season of performances at the theatre for several years, and the space has been used for other events, musical performances and fundraisers as well. The new marquee, designed after the original, should be up very soon.

The Essanee holds rich memories for generations of New Iberians, for whom it was one of a handful of movie theatres in town. According to Facebook response this week, there was an amazing variety of entertainment to be found at the theatre.

The Essanee ran a wide variety of films, from “The Sound of Music,” remembered by Belinda Hebert Guttman and Mara Renard Ramsey, to “The Night of the Living Dead,” the movie that Frances Thibodeaux said gave her nightmares for a long time. She remembers seeing it sometime between the ages of 7-10, and that her mother didn’t realize she, her siblings and cousins were going to see a horror movie.

Philip Streva recalled “Valley Girl” (a true classic) as his last movie seen there, and “It’s Alive,” as the first, with “Godzilla,” “Rocky,” “Grease” and many others in-between.

Donna Berard would spend the day in the theatre, watching movies over and over, sometimes returning for several days if she liked the movie. She said that the Essanee “has played a huge part in my life. It really has been a second home for me since I was a young girl.”

Music played a large part in the Essanee’s appeal. Not only the movies, including Elvis, mentioned by Renee Champagne and Barbara Landry, but also live music on Saturday mornings, produced by Les Lester, recalled by William Crisman, Carrie Drago Honey and Vivian Koenig. There were even singing contests, just ask Jackie Hargrave Dugas — she won one there.

So many other movie memories, all the James Bond movies, “Walking Tall,” “The Godfather”, during which Dionne Robinson and Kim Broussard had some questions about a certain scene featuring James Caan. Mike Tarantino reminisced about his last Essanee experience: the first “Star Wars” movie, and the line around the block to get in.

The movies were the main draw, but there was something else very attractive about the Essanee: the balcony. Some got to visit that magical place, like Janet Schexnayder and her schoolmates on a field trip to see “Gone with the Wind”. Some just got to dream about it, like Jimmy Lindsey and Annette Viator, who thought she and her friends “could have gotten into more trouble unnoticed, not to mention being able to throw popcorn on the people below.”

“Grease,” “Godzilla,” “Wuthering Heights,” Romeo and Juliet,” “Alien,” “The Last Picture Show,” even “The Iron Claw,” a short that scared Ginger Landry Walker to death; they were all at the Essanee. So many memories, and there are more to come, thanks to the theatre’s revitalization.

Look for the next IPAL production coming soon, and don’t miss Teche Classic Movies presentation of “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” June 17. Bring the popcorn, meet you in the balcony.