Row House Theater

Written By Scott Simmons

The world’s newest atmospheric movie theatre has opened in Pittsburgh! Row House Cinemas owner Brian Mendelssohn has partnered with scores of designers, artists, carpenters, and experts to fully restore and renovate the historic Hollywood movie theater in Dormont.

Traditional atmospheric movie theaters, which were most popular in the 1920’s, evoked the feelings of outdoor settings in exotic courtyards or lavish gardens. This installation is considerably more industrial, paying homage not only to an iconic black and white silent film but also to the generations of workers who gave birth to The Steel City of Pittsburgh.

Needs More Fog took the lead on designing, producing, and installing the core thematic elements inspired by the 1927 movie Metropolis. For phase one of this ambitious project, our team transformed the 400 seat auditorium into a multi-level and monochromatic representation of the themes of the film.

The ground level of the theater now emulates “the underground city” setting of Metropolis, surrounding guests with industrial machinery and concrete. Eyes cast upward to reveal a truss that serves as the boundary between worlds, with a glorious skyline of fantastical high rise buildings rising into a star-filled blue sky above.

Row House Cinemas - Hollywood is now open to the public but the project is far from over! In the coming months guests will soon enjoy a second auditorium, 35mm screenings, a full bar, additional scenic & lighting enhancements, and an ever-expanding skyline that will eventually fill the entire main theater.

Thanks to Brian and Irwin Mendelssohn, Kelsey Shea Zehmisch and everyone at Row House Cinemas for partnering with Needs More Fog on this ongoing and incredible project. It’s a true honor to pay tribute to Pittsburgh’s movie palace.

Row House Cinemas Hollywood in Dormont now features an atmospheric enviornment inspired by Metropolis

Photo by Mike Hume for Historic Theatre Photography‍

Scott Simmons - Creative Director

Wayne Simmons - Project Manager

Kim Gromoll - Concept Artist

Kate Bechak - Additional Concept Art, 3-D Rendering

Produced in association with Kellan Andersen Designs, Upward Consulting, Steel City Scenic and Pittsburgh Public Theater. Special thanks to Kelly Braden.

The Underground City

Kellan Andersen - Production Designer 

Jon Ward - Art Director 

Niko Gomez - Lead Carpenter 

Braxton McCollum - Carpenter 

Mike Kahlil - Lead Scenic Painter 

Matrisse Albertz - Scenic Painter

Scott Conklin - Truss fabrication and installation

Dylan Baker - Truss installation assistance

Heather Heitzenrater - Truss scenic painter

City Skyline

Drew Palajsa - Lead Carpenter and Installer

Lisa Harshbarger - Scenic Painter

Pittsburgh Public Theater Staff — Installation

Behind the Scenes video produced by Carson Spence for Row House Cinemas.

Scott Simmons

Since 1999 I have overseen the design and production of nationally recognized haunted attractions, escape rooms, theatrical experiences and a historic dark ride. Best know for my work as Creative and Marketing Director for the SCAREHOUSE seasonal haunted attraction and the intense and adult immersive experience THE BASEMENT, I have now launched an experiential and content production company NEEDS MORE FOG

My themed attractions have been featured on Good Morning America, Late Night with Seth Meyers, Travel Channel, and the Daily Show while also receiving acclaim from iconic creatives such as Guillermo del Toro, Michael Dougherty, and Elijah Wood. My creative team and I also collaborated directly with Universal Pictures, Legendary Entertainment and Weta Workshop creating the first immersive experience based on the film KRAMPUS.

I have also supervised all elements of concept, design, and production for a variety of immersive experience including escape rooms, special events, theatrical experiences and the total re-theme of THE OLD MILL at Kennywood.

I also produce highly engaging content for ScareHouse and other haunted attraction's social media platforms, with our trailers and "behind the screams" videos generating over eight million views on YouTube.

Frequently asked to present at conferences and in media interviews about topics such as the booming "Scream Economy" and haunted attractions, immersive experience design, generative AI, digital content creation, and murderous bunnies with axes.

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