CRANFORD, NJ — It’s not unusual for a little girl to go to the movies and dream of becoming a movie star. Doreen Sayegh had a different plan. Her dream was to work in the movie theater – on the business side of it.
Growing up in the 1980s, her father owned several movie theaters in New Jersey. Working side-by-side with her dad, she sold her first popcorn at the age of 8.
“He taught me the ropes,” she said. “Taught me the business.”
Now owning The Cranford Theater, Sayegh says that it’s about preserving something meaningful. This year, the theater is 100 years old. “We want to make sure there are many more decades to come to bring people together,” said Sayegh. “It’s a space unlike any other space. You laugh together. You cry together. It means a lot to me.”
Sayegh looks back and remembers seeing movies like “E.T.” and “Back to the Future.” She also recalls peeking in to see “Nightmare on Elm Street,” though her dad warned her to stay away from the R-rated movies.
She wanted to be just like her father. “I wanted to do what he did,” she said. “He owned and operated places that brought people together.”
To Sayegh, The Cranford Theater is like home. “It’s where the community gather,” she said. “It’s one of those places (where) everyone knows each other’s name. I don’t look at it as a business. I look at it as my home. It’s a warm and welcoming place. Our staff are wonderful. It’s such a special place.”
In April, the ceiling of the theater collapsed, forcing the theater to shut down until November. “In all honesty, it was devastating,” said Sayegh. “The worst thing I’ve been through.”
But much good has come from the tragedy. The theater has had a full renovation. “It’s new everything,” said Sayegh. “New ceilings. New lighting system. We modernized the theater while holding on to the charm of a small hometown theater.”
And now that the theater is up and running again, Sayegh has great plans for 2026 which include working on growing in the arts and culture films department.
She said, “Live music events, book signings, independent film making, school shows… If we can make it happen, we will. Nothing is off limits. We didn’t just re-open, we re-imagined what a modern theater might be.”
Visit The Cranford Theater at: https://www.cranfordtheater.com/.
Photos Courtesy of JF Photographer, The Cranford Theater and Doreen Sayegh
