Locals recall fond memories at the 'sticky' Brahman Theater

Posted 3/5/21

OKEECHOBEE- After an article on the Brahman Theater property being sold was posted on March 1, current and former Okeechobee residents reminisced on memories they had made at the longtime local ...

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Locals recall fond memories at the 'sticky' Brahman Theater

Posted

OKEECHOBEE- After an article on the Brahman Theater property being sold was posted on March 1, current and former Okeechobee residents reminisced on memories they had made at the longtime local cinema.


From working their first job or going on their first date, to walking to the theater from Central Elementary on a field trip, or calling parents from the payphone after a Friday night out with friends, locals relived all the highs and lows from one of the few remaining shared cultural touchstones in Okeechobee.


“We walked there, hung out there, and really learned to love pop culture there,” said Jenn Judy, who grew up in Okeechobee. “It was always sticky, and there were always people you’d run into that you wish you hadn’t. I used the payphone to call my dad collect and when it beeped I’d say ‘hey dad it’s Jenn come pick me up’ and he’d be there in like five minutes.”

As the years progressed and newer theaters on the coast began adding more amenities like luxury seating and full service bars and dining, the Brahman kept things relatively unchanged. Although some preferred the updated modern experience that other theaters offered, some were more inclined to stick with the simpler old-school aesthetic the Brahman had maintained over the years. With its notoriously sticky floors and kitschy giant cowboy art adorning the theater walls, the Brahman had a charm all its own.


“I remember watching The Mummy there when I was 13,” said Cade Waldron. “I used to always go watch a movie on my birthday. The Brahman theater was a good place to call up a friend on a whim and say ‘want to go watch the 7:15 showing’. Almost everyone you knew could afford it. I think in a lot of ways it was a huge part of all of our childhoods.”


For many kids in Okeechobee, there was no envy stronger than of the lucky few that got to actually live near the Brahman. For those kids the latest Hollywood blockbusters were, quite literally, only a two minute walk from their front door.


“It was such a treat living behind the theater all of my childhood,” said Debbo Silvius. “I know I took it for granted for sure. When we wanted to see a movie, we just walked down the street like it was nothing. I know as a teenager I would decide on a whim to see a movie and walk down there in my pajamas with a blanket, because the big screen was always better than watching something at home. I was always glad it wasn’t new and flashy. I feel like the worn in seats and sticky floor added to the experience of that theater, one that I will deeply miss.”


“It was just a quintessential part of my childhood,” continued Debbo, “so for it to be gone is like a little piece of my past is going away. Rest in peace you sticky, worn-in, wonderful Okeechobee relic.”

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