The Strand Theater Initiative

The Strand Theater was constructed and managed by Gioachino and Rosalia Sapienza in 1914. The building originally housed the theater and Sapienza's Fruit Market. The Strand featured silent films with live piano accompaniment as well as Vaudeville-style shows on its small stage. The Strand thrived as a social center for Zelienople and Harmony for decades, providing a destination for these rural families to meet and enjoy a night's entertainment. The Strand began to struggle when multiplex cinemas began dotting the landscape. The theater became more of a drop-off point for parents to leave their kids for an afternoon matinee. But with increased pressure from the onset of the Multi-Plex and VCR era, The Strand could no longer ( www.thestrandtheater.org )