Island Theatre

09/01/2026

THURSDAY AT 7! "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (PG) 1981 ‧ Adventure/Action ‧ 1h 55m... Set in 1936, the story follows the adventurous archaeology professor Dr. Indiana Jones. He is hired by U.S. Army Intelligence to locate the Ark of the Covenant, the biblical chest rumored to hold the Ten Commandments and possess invincible, supernatural power. Indy must race across the globe—from the mountains of Nepal to the deserts of Cairo—to find the Ark. Teaming up with his fierce former romantic interest, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy faces a deadly barrage of b***y traps, snakes, explosives, and his scheming rival archaeologist, René Belloq (Paul Freeman)... Starts at 7, doors open at 6:30. Admission $7, kids and seniors $5.

09/01/2026

Susan Backlinie is the swimmer in the opening scene who becomes the first victim of the shark in "Jaws" (1975).

Contrary to rumor, Backlinie’s startled reaction and screams of anguish were not due to her being injured by the harness that yanked her back and forth in the water. However, she was attached to a line that was anchored to the ocean floor beneath her, and she was intentionally not warned when she would be first pulled underwater. This helped provoke a more genuine expression of surprise from her initially, but the remainder of her performance was her own as an actress.

There were two 300 pound weights attached to Backlinie that were being tugged by two groups of crewmen on shore. One group would pull right, and the other would pull left. It took three days to film that sequence.

To create the sound of a drowning woman during post-production, Backlinie was positioned, head upturned, in front of a microphone, while water from above was poured down into her throat.

When "Jaws" co-star Richard Dreyfuss saw a daily of her performance of being attacked by the shark, he told her it absolutely terrified him.

She later spoofed this scene in Steven Spielberg's "1941" (1979) but encounters a Japanese submarine instead of a toothy fish. (IMDb/Wikipedia)

Happy Birthday, Susan Backlinie!

08/31/2026

08/31/2026

We continue to be amazed by the generous response to our new Children’s Book Wishlist. Thank you for supporting our efforts to grow the collection. THANK YOU!

If you’d like to help us continue to expand our children’s offerings, you can visit the wishlist here:
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/35FRP9DEC05B5?ref_=wl_share

08/31/2026

08/31/2026

THURSDAY AT 7! "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (PG) 1981 ‧ Adventure/Action ‧ 1h 55m... Set in 1936, the story follows the adventurous archaeology professor Dr. Indiana Jones. He is hired by U.S. Army Intelligence to locate the Ark of the Covenant, the biblical chest rumored to hold the Ten Commandments and possess invincible, supernatural power. Indy must race across the globe—from the mountains of Nepal to the deserts of Cairo—to find the Ark. Teaming up with his fierce former romantic interest, Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen), Indy faces a deadly barrage of b***y traps, snakes, explosives, and his scheming rival archaeologist, René Belloq (Paul Freeman)... Starts at 7, doors open at 6:30. Admission $7, kids and seniors $5.

08/30/2026

Lots of movies this week! Wednesday at 2, catch Misty for a FREE matinee! Then Thursday night, Gen X Night kicks off with Raiders of the Lost Ark at 7... Friday night, The Last Unicorn at 7 and Saturday night, The Fifth Element at 7! (Movies start at 7, doors open at 6:30. Admission $7, kids and seniors $5.)

08/30/2026

Thursday at 7 is "Raiders of the Lost Ark"!

Starting in September, we're throwing it back every Thursday night at 7:00pm with Gen X Movie Night, bringing the ultimate era of cinema back to the big screen... If you're looking for some serious nostalgia, wanting to experience the greatest coming-of-age soundtracks and blockbusters, or introducing the next generation to the angst-ridden '80s classics the way they were meant to be seen, we've got a seat saved for you!
Sept 3 — Raiders of the Lost Ark
Sept 10 — Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Sept 17 — The Goonies
Sept 24 — Trading Places
Oct 1 — The Monster Squad

08/30/2026

VENDOR CALL — FALL INTO THE ARTS!

We’re officially opening up vendor spots for Chincoteague’s 1st Annual Fall Into the Arts Festival — and vendor spaces are just $45!

-Saturday, October 17
-11AM–4PM
-Robert Reed Waterfront Park — Downtown Chincoteague

We’re filling the waterfront with local artists, makers, vendors, live music and plenty of fall vibes for a day built around celebrating the arts and getting people downtown.

This event is a fundraiser for our historic Island Theatre, but it’s also about something bigger — bringing people back downtown, supporting the businesses that make Chincoteague what it is, and creating a fall tradition we can grow year after year.

This is our first Fall Into the Arts, and we fully expect vendor spaces to go quickly for this one. If you’ve been thinking about joining us, don’t wait too long. 🍁

Vendor spaces: $45

Interested in vending, sponsoring, volunteering or getting involved?

Contact: [email protected]

Come be part of year one. Let’s make downtown Chincoteague feel like fall. 🍂🎶🎨