The Lucas Theatre is a

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

on Abercorn Street in Reynolds Square, Savannah,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

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. Built in 1921, the theater closed in 1976 and was slated to be demolished, but preservation efforts led to it reopening in 2000. It is managed by the

Savannah College of Art and Design Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is a private nonprofit art school with locations in Savannah, Georgia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Lacoste, France. Founded in 1978 to provide degrees in programs not yet offered in the southeast of the Uni ...

asthe Lucas Theatre for the Arts and is the home venue for the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra.

History

The theatre was the idea of Arthur Lucas, a businessman from

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

who named it after himself. Lucas's first theater was opened in Savannah in 1907; he later owned several dozen theaters throughout Georgia, including the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. The Lucas Theatre was designed by architect Claude K. Howell in the

Spanish Baroque The arts of the Spanish Baroque include: *Spanish Baroque painting *Spanish Baroque architecture ** Spanish Baroque ephemeral architecture *Spanish Baroque literature **''Culteranismo'' **''Conceptismo'' * Spanish Baroque art ** Bodegón **Tenebri ...

style and opened to the public on December 26, 1921. At the time of its construction, it had a capacity of about 1,700, and some called it the "Jewel of Savannah". The building's interior featured a large dome and marble floors, while the exterior featured a large

wrought iron Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a wood-like "grain" ...

marquee. In May 1927, it became the first building in Savannah to have

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...

. At some time in the 1930s, the wrought iron marquee was replaced by a

neon sign In the signage industry, neon signs are electric signs lighted by long luminous gas-discharge tubes that contain rarefied neon or other gases. They are the most common use for neon lighting, which was first demonstrated in a modern form in D ...

. Following World War II, downtown Savannah experienced a downturn, and the theater deteriorated. It closed in 1976 and the building later housed a comedy club and restaurant. In 1986, it was slated to be demolished and replaced by a parking garage, but a group of Savannahians organized to prevent its demolition. They purchased the building and began extensive renovations. During the filming of ''

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' is a non-fiction novel by John Berendt. The book, Berendt's first, was published in 1994 and follows the story of an antiques dealer on trial for the murder of a male prostitute. Subtitled ''A Savannah S ...

'' in 1997, members of the film crew, including the director, Clint Eastwood, and leading actor,

Kevin Spacey Kevin Spacey Fowler (born July 26, 1959) is an American actor. He began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, obtaining supporting roles before gaining a leading man status in film and television. Spacey has received various accolade ...

, participated in fundraising events. The Lucas Theatre reopened in 2000 with a screening of the film ''

Gone with the Wind Gone with the Wind most often refers to: * ''Gone with the Wind'' (novel), a 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell * ''Gone with the Wind'' (film), the 1939 adaptation of the novel Gone with the Wind may also refer to: Music * ''Gone with the Wind'' ...

''. It is managed by the

and is the home venue for the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra, in addition to hosting the annual Savannah Film Festival and the Savannah Music Festival. The theatre's

Wurlitzer The Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, usually referred to as simply Wurlitzer, is an American company started in Cincinnati in 1853 by German immigrant (Franz) Rudolph Wurlitzer. The company initially imported stringed, woodwind and brass instruments ...

organ, produced in 1925, had been disassembled, stored in a barn, and damaged in a fire; with the assistance of the

American Theatre Organ Society The American Theatre Organ Society (ATOS) is an American non-profit organization, dedicated to preserving and promoting the theatre pipe organ and its musical art form. ATOS consists of regional member-chapters, and is led by democratically e ...

, it was restored and reinstalled in the theater in 2023, with seven ranks of

pipe Pipe(s), PIPE(S) or piping may refer to: Objects * Pipe (fluid conveyance), a hollow cylinder following certain dimension rules ** Piping, the use of pipes in industry * Smoking pipe ** Tobacco pipe * Half-pipe and quarter pipe, semi-circular ...

s added to the original eleven. The building is located in the

Savannah Historic District Savannah Historic District may refer to: *Savannah Historic District (Savannah, Georgia), a National Historic Landmark district in Georgia * Central of Georgia Railroad: Savannah Shops and Terminal Facilities, Savannah, Georgia, a historic district ...

References

External links

* * {{Savannah College of Art and Design 1921 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state) Buildings and structures completed in 1921 Entertainment venues in Savannah, Georgia Theatres in Georgia (U.S. state) Tourist attractions in Savannah, Georgia Cinemas and movie theaters in Georgia (U.S. state) Historic district contributing properties in Georgia (U.S. state) Savannah College of Art and Design Spanish Baroque architecture Reynolds Square (Savannah) buildings Savannah College of Art and Design buildings and structures Savannah Historic District