When you call this movie theater, a person answers the phone to tell you the movie times; it’s one of the owner’s rules. And when you enter this one-screen theater, the owner thanks you for coming and tells you to enjoy the show.

Service gets this personal touch at the uptown Prytania Theater. Owner René Brunet, Jr., does it that way because his father did it that way when he operated small theaters all around New Orleans starting in 1907.

Brunet started running the theater in 1997 when Chris Riley bought the then-closed theater. Brunet said that, based on the reputation of his family’s tradition in small theaters, Riley asked him to run the business. Brunet accepted the offer and has run the one-screen, 282-seat theater ever since.

The property that the Prytania uses has housed only theaters since 1915, Brunet said. Some New Orleans residents, especially those who live close to the theater, consider the theater to be an uptown establishment.

Assistant professor of religious studies Grant Kaplan lives within walking distance of the Prytania and said that he considers the theater a tradition for the city.

“I think that it adds to New Orleans that there are institutions here and I think that [The Prytania] is an uptown institution,” Kaplan said.

Brunet said that he makes a point of catering to his neighborhood customers in the way that so many local businesses used to.

“We are a neighborhood theater for everybody but mostly for the neighborhood people: we do everything possible to make the theater convenient for them,” Brunet said.

Psychology and Catholic studies junior Jenica Tramontana is the project coordinator for Loyola’s chapter of Compass. She organized a trip to the Prytania for a viewing of “The Passion of the Christ” and chose the theater because of its local ties.

“I like to support local venues as much as possible rather than huge national corporations,” Tramontana said.

Brunet also prides himself and his employees on treating his customers with individual personal service.

“People don’t come to a theater to be herded around like cattle,” Brunet said. “We treat every customer like a guest, not just someone who pays to come in.”

The Prytania also feels different from other theaters because of the old-fashioned atmosphere that it has.

“The whole feeling of the theater is more homey and regal and not as commercialized, which make it feel a little bit more intimate,” Tramontana said.

Brunet said that what also draws customers in are the movies he chooses to show on the one screen. He said they choose the movies carefully.

“We have a booking meeting every Monday morning and we are particular about picking out the type of pictures the customers want to see,” Brunet said.

Perhaps more meaning is lent to the movies that are shown because the theater can only show one at a time. Tramontana said that this is what contributed to her decision to hold the Compass viewing at the Prytania.

“We wanted to give them as much business as possible because they thought that ‘The Passion’ was important enough to show,” Tramontana said.

In addition to their usual schedule, Burnet said that the theater sets itself apart by holding special events, like an Academy Awards party and screenings of independent films.

“I like to do that type of thing to bring something to people they don’t get at other theaters,” Brunet said.

Though the past couple of years have brought business complications to the theater, Brunet said that these issues, such as the death of Riley, the man who asked Brunet to run the theater, have been resolved.

“Apparently, right now, everything is in good shape,” Brunet said.

Brunet said that the theater has many regulars and that he is often thanked for the operation of the historic theater. One customer even requested a picture with Brunet. He said what he enjoys most about the theater are the grateful customers.

“I like to hear them thanking me for keeping it open and I want to keep on doing that,” Brunet said. “That’s my job.”

With the Prytania’s rich history as a neighborhood theater and Brunet’s dedication to personal service, he feels that the theater may remain a New Orleans tradition for years to come.

“Part of what makes a neighborhood charming is precisely The Prytania, because these things make Uptown unlike any other place you can be,” Kaplan said.