BRATTLEBORO — Ever since the Latchis Theatre debuted the day after the Great New England Hurricane of 1938, its operators have aimed to take the town by storm with one splashy film premiere after another.

Consider “That Certain Age,” a now forgotten musical comedy “rushed from Hollywood by airplane” for the grand opening before its release anywhere else, the local newspaper reported at the time.

Or “The Wizard of Oz,” screened after a 1939 downtown parade that featured the horse-drawn carriage Judy Garland rode through Munchkinland.

Or “Gone with the Wind,” which arrived with the advertised claim, “Brattleboro will be the first town in the country of less than 10,000 population to see it.”

“A lot of the history of cinema has taken place right here,” Jon Potter, the Latchis’ current executive director, said in a recent interview. “We hearken back to a golden age, and part of the experience is a trip back in time.”

This summer, the Latchis is offering the latest sequels to “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Toy Story” and “Spider-Man.” Yet operators say 2026’s biggest draw so far is an Oscar-winning best picture — not the reigning “One Battle After Another,” but 1942’s “Casablanca,” which sold a near-capacity 400 tickets in a recent one-night-only return.

“Things are in a transformative moment,” Potter said. “Our movie audience is half of what it was before the Covid-19 pandemic, so we are doing more special events than ever of all shapes and sizes.”

The Latchis is set to host David Lubin, author of the new book “Ready for My Close-Up: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream,” as part of a June 14 showing of the 1950 film.

“Democracy Now!” host Amy Goodman will arrive June 19 with her new documentary “Steal This Story, Please!” as part of a program moderated by her brother, VTDigger podcast host David Goodman.

And the “Classics at the Latchis” series that has ranged from 1942’s “Now, Voyager” to 1983’s “Terms of Endearment” will continue June 21 with a Father’s Day presentation of 1973’s “Paper Moon.”

“There aren’t too many places that are a first-run movie theater and also an event space,” Potter said, “and that can be a challenge.”

A horse-drawn carriage that transported Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” arrives outside Brattleboro’s historic Latchis Theatre in 1939. Photo courtesy of the Brattleboro Historical Society

The Latchis’ main auditorium can’t rely solely on films, as for every “Casablanca” is a current box-office bomb that detonates upon arrival. But the theater also can’t limit itself to live performances, since it’s the only cinema in a half-hour radius.

As a result, the Brattleboro landmark has a history of promising something for everyone.

The Art Deco picture palace opened in 1938 as a memorial to Greek immigrant-turned-impresario Demetrios Latsis. (An Ellis Island registrar misspelled that original surname, resulting in what’s now on the marquee.) The four-story building was billed as “a town within a town” for its cinema, 30-room boutique hotel, restaurant and sidewalk of shops.

The block provided entertainment and escape during the Depression and World War II, then saw audiences scatter with the arrival of Interstate 91 and the internet. The Latchis became a nonprofit organization in 2003, only to face $500,000 in flood damage from 2011’s Tropical Storm Irene and up to $1,000 in daily losses at the height of the 2020 pandemic.

To make ends meet, the Latchis now rents its main auditorium and three smaller screens for private events. It mixes in live stage shows: the Windham Philharmonic played there last week and a new production of the opera “Tristan und Isolde” is set for August. It’s also plugging into technology for simulcasts from New York’s Metropolitan Opera and London’s National Theatre.

Theater manager Luis Negron came up with “Casablanca” when brainstorming a film for Valentine’s Day.

“It’s not only about love,” he said, “but also people were so ready to see heroes winning.”

Even so, Negron was surprised when fans arrived with the lyrics to “La Marseillaise,” the French national anthem that’s heard in the movie.

“When it played, some people stood up and started singing,” he said. “And every time a Nazi appeared, they booed.”

“It turned a little bit into Rocky Horror,” confirmed Potter, referring to the 1975 cult picture show.

The Latchis isn’t sure how locals will respond when it screens 1951’s “A Streetcar Named Desire” in September. But with the latest “Star Wars” spinoff reporting a 70% drop in U.S. ticket sales from its first to second week, the Brattleboro theater is willing to try something different.

“We’re just opening the doors to what we can do here,” Potter said. “There are lots of reasons to stay home, so you have to give people a reason to come out.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade rumors seem to evolve weekly, but two teams have been linked to the former NBA champion and league MVP more than any others: the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

Since trade rumors initially picked up early in the offseason, it’s believed that Antetokounmpo’s preferred trade destination is a title contender in the Eastern Conference. Outside of the obvious Knicks, who are up 2-0 in the NBA Finals, there are a handful of teams that fit that bill: Detroit, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Orlando could be considered in that tier of Eastern Conference teams.

However, most teams that have the assets to trade for Antetokounmpo would need to gut the better parts of their lineup in order to make a legal trade happen, and that would make them less likely to be contenders.

That’s the advantage Boston seemingly possesses over just about every other team Antetokounmpo would be willing to play for: its roster would not be depleted in the process of acquiring the ‘Greek Freak’.

Speaking on the Dan Patrick Show, The Athletic’s Sam Amick said the rumors of Antetokounmpo to the Celtics have some serious traction, at least on Antetokounmpo’s end.

“Miami is the loudest noise, you continue to hear that … yes, it appears everybody you talk to says Miami at the deadline had a deal that was close,” Amick said. “So the noise is tied to Miami, but there’s also some understanding that Giannis has questions about what that Miami roster would look like on the other side of the deal.

“I think the Celtics are a pretty intriguing option in terms of being competitive,” Amick added. “This is something we’ve heard from Giannis’s side that the intrigue is real. The respect for Joe Mazzulla, the way that he might see that roster. Do I think it changes things? I don’t know yet. But I think it’s worth watching.”

The seemingly obvious piece for Boston to send back, whether to the Bucks or a third involved team, is Jaylen Brown. Brown has a similar contract to Antetokounmpo’s, and is a quality enough player that he could be the only player the Celtics trade away in the deal, giving them plenty of runway to compete for a championship in the aftermath.

So, from a salary cap-balancing perspective, the trade could be done easily. But Boston will have other factors to consider. Does the fit with Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum together make sense and will it lead to a better title shot? And, even if Brad Stevens thinks it is, does it make sense to trade away your longest tenured player who has already proven he can win a championship alongside Tatum.

Brown’s name has been dangled in a few different rumored trade scenarios over the last few offseasons, but no other occasion has had this much traction behind it.

And for the Bucks, trading Antetokounmpo appears to be a near-certainty at this juncture.

“It seems very likely … it’s not often you have an owner publicly framing the timeline, and that’s what Jimmy Haslem did. We just saw Jimmy Haslem do a blockbuster trade with Myles Garrett in the NFL, showing he’s certainly ready to pull that trigger if he needs to. I do expect it to happen.”

So the Heat and Celtics, who have built quite a fierce rivalry in the 21st century, and especially with their recent playoff clashes, will be pitted against each other once more. This time, Antetokounmpo is up for grabs.

Stevens entered the offseason saying he’d do everything in his power to make Boston a more competitive team and bring them another championship. He also said he’d take a dunk over a 3-pointer on every possession if he could. If he lands Antetokounmpo, he just might get both his wishes.

From warm maple and mossy green finishes on its cabinetry to the brass plumbing fixtures on the sink, the kitchen of this Treesdale home in Adams Township is all about natural warmth and soft color.

It’s a space that architect Robert Gaskill of Gaskill Architecture, who spearheaded the renovation project, describes as timeless and collected.

“The classic cabinetry, use of natural stone, brass hardware and rich, warm maple wood tone has been relevant for decades and will continue to age beautifully,” Gaskill says. “Rather than leaning into trendy design elements, this kitchen design focuses on authenticity. The layered materials give this kitchen timeless character, which makes it feel as if it evolved over time rather than being tied to a specific moment.”

PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

The kitchen’s ageless design led to it being named Best Renovated Kitchen in Pittsburgh Magazine’s Best of Design contest.

“I think the kitchen feels really cozy; it’s going to be a great place for people to gather,” says judge Katie Savakis, a project designer at Vocon’s Cleveland office. “This kitchen feels very Ralph Lauren, but in the best way.”

Judge Crystal Knapik, an architect and senior associate at CannonDesign in St. Louis, also praised the contrast in the materials.

“I like how they choose that mossy green to be the main character of the kitchen,” she says. “They balanced the dark tones with the bright white ceiling and the white marble on the island.”

Art Rectenwald purchased the home in 2022 and shares it with his wife, Irinia, and his daughter, Annabelle. (“Plus two dogs, two cats, ten chickens and five horses,” he adds.)

The kitchen renovation originally wasn’t part of an overall home addition, but as the project evolved, it became clear the existing builder-grade space wasn’t going to cut it. Rectenwald says that the previous kitchen was “bland and low quality,” but calls the updated space “cozy, beautiful and efficient.”

PHOTO BY DAVE BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

Irina Rectenwald is an architect specializing in environmental design, and her husband says her vision and research provided the primary inspiration for the space. Gaskill seconds this, adding that the selections were “heavily guided by the homeowners’ aesthetic preferences and style.”

The cabinetry pairs a warm maple finish on the range wall and island with a mossy green painted finish on the side elevations. The refrigerator is fully integrated within tall maple cabinetry, allowing it to blend seamlessly into the design. Two tiled towers also frame the range wall, introducing texture while creating niches for displaying personal objects.

“The tiled corner niches are my favorite,” Rectenwald says. “Our corners now display sculptures and artwork versus blenders and coffee makers.”

The homeowners add it feels good to know that their vision, and the hard work that went into bringing the space to life, is appreciated.

“The finished product is everything and more of what we hoped for,” Rectenwald says. “Every detail turned out how we envisioned or better.”

Vendors

Architectural Design: Gaskill Architecture
Interior Design: Gaskill Architecture
General Contractor: TK Construction
Cabinetry: Beahm and Son Ltd. Custom Cabinetry
Fixtures: Brizo
Countertops: Top It Off Granite
Tile: The Tile Shop