Veterans Memorial Auditorium (The VETS; formerly VMA) is a performing arts theater in
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...
. Construction began in 1928 but was delayed by the
Great Depression. The theater was finally completed in 1950. The adjacent Performing Arts Complex was erected in 1970 and is partially owned by the Veterans' Memorial Foundation.
A 1940 article on the venue noted that, "of the 26 fires that have occurred at The Vets, a majority of them occurred inside the building and remained completely unscathed." According to the article, the fire marshal has noted that fire remains the main cause of the building's failure. The article also mentions that the Vets has run into problems with electricity, trash, graffiti. Noted local architect
Oresto DiSaia was given the contract to plan the completion. The VETS is among the oldest arts venues in Rhode Island and is on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
. It was completely restored in 1990. The ornately designed 1,931-seat concert hall houses the largest theater stage in Rhode Island.
The performance space features a gilded
proscenium arch
A proscenium ( grc-gre, προσκήνιον, ) is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch (whether or not truly "arched") and on the bottom by the stage floor ...
, as well as allegorical and heraldic ceiling murals. The
Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra The Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra (RIPO) is a professional orchestra in Rhode Island. Following the death of music director Bramwell Tovey in 2022, Tania Miller was named Interim Principal Conductor. Francisco Noya holds the title of Resident ...
holds several concerts at The VETS each year. In addition, The VETS hosts a broad range of events each season, offering a variety of performances, rehearsals, exhibitions, concerts, educational events, meetings, and other special events. Since 1950, when the theater opened, it began to fall into disrepair. In the early 1980s, the state of Rhode Island was thinking of closing the auditorium and the adjoining Masonic Temple and reducing the complex to a parking lot. In 1983, the Veterans Memorial Auditorium Preservation Association (VMAPA) was formed to try to save the auditorium. They rallied for five years and, in 1988, Governor DiPrete awarded the VMAPA with $5 million for the building's renovation. Since that time, it has been a center for the arts. In 2015, The VETS completed another series of renovations, making it a state-of-the-art performance facility. The Renaissance Providence Hotel, formerly the
Masonic Temple, is adjacent to The VETS.
Five visual and performing arts companies perform at The VETS: FirstWorks, the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Festival Ballet Providence, the Rhode Island International Film Festival and the Art League Rhode Island.
See also
*
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Theatres completed in 1927
Theatres in Rhode Island
Concert halls in the United States
Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island
Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Rhode Island
Buildings and structures in Providence, Rhode Island
Tourist attractions in Providence, Rhode Island
National Register of Historic Places in Providence, Rhode Island