Welcome to The Empire

The original theatre, known as the McCarthy Theatre, opened its doors in 1938 and operated continuously until 1962.

After several vacant years, it was transformed into a sports and hobby store, Stephen Licence Ltd.

In March 2002, Mark Rashotte purchased the building with the vision of bringing to Belleville a professional live performance and cinematic theatre.  The Empire Theatre opened its doors on September 13, 2003.

About the theatre

Theatre in The Wings is an intimate, 45-seat storefront performance venue located in a beautifully restored historic building at 30 Bridge Street East in downtown Belleville, perfectly suited for live theatre, music, comedy, and film. It will be the new permanent home of River & Main, a small, independent theatre company founded in 2016 in order to produce and promote work by local theatre creators and to present their work to audiences in the Quinte Region.