I’m always impressed to see the old theaters, especially those that are still in use. So many have been allowed to fall apart, but some have found redirection as theaters showing “Classic” movies and other have found their future returning to their roots as Performance Venues. The Lensic Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico has found its place as a premier live performing arts theater.
During a recent visit to Santa Fe, I walked past the theater every day during my visit and admired its outer appearance and dreamed of a time when the theater was in its prime. The heartwarming aspect of this theater is that, in some ways, The Lensic Theater is reentering its prime with over 200 performances a year. But, I think back to a time when the movies would place through the depression and through the war. From the theater’s website, the theater’s prime of life prime could have been marked in the 1950s when The Lensic was “THE” place to go to see the latest movie. I was able to inside the lobby for a brief moment and my breath was taken away by the shear presence of the chandeliers and ornamentation adorning the ceiling and the walls.
The Lensic Theater has a strong future as it has become the prime location for performing arts in New Mexico. I truly believe that other similar theaters across the country can and should adopt its business model for growth and longevity. While the theater is non-profit, it presents many high quality events throughout the year. Perform at the Lensic Theater are local and visiting orchestras, ballets, Broadway shows, and through technology The Lensic hosts documentaries and The Metropolitan Opera performances through “The Met: Live in HD“. The Lensic Theater makes a powerful statement to viability and success possible not only for Historical Theaters, but Performing Arts in general.
[…] O. Boller in 1938. Robert Boller was a designer of many theaters throughout the U.S. including The Lensic Theater, Santa Fe, New Mexico. Once the theater had a vertical marque with the name of the theater on it, but the theater still […]