The Lensic Theater, located at 211 West San Francisco Street in

Santa Fe, New Mexico Santa Fe ( ; , Spanish for 'Holy Faith'; tew, Oghá P'o'oge, Tewa for 'white shell water place'; tiw, Hulp'ó'ona, label= Northern Tiwa; nv, Yootó, Navajo for 'bead + water place') is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. The name “S ...

, is an 821-seat theater designed by

Boller Brothers Boller Brothers, often written Boller Bros., was an architectural firm based in Kansas City, Missouri which specialized in theater design in the Midwestern United States during the first half of the 20th century. Carl Heinrich Boller (1868–1946 ...

of Kansas City, well-known movie-theater and vaudeville-house architects who designed almost one hundred theaters throughout the West and mid-West, including the

KiMo Theater The KiMo Theatre is a theatre and historic landmark located in Albuquerque, New Mexico on the northeast corner of Central Avenue and Fifth Street. It was built in 1927 in the extravagant Pueblo Deco architecture, which is a blend of adobe-style ...

Albuquerque Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding i ...

. The pseudo-Moorish, Spanish Renaissance Lensic was built by Nathan Salmon and E. John Greer and opened on 24 June 1931. Its name derives from the initials of Greer's six grandchildren. The Lensic was completely restored and renovated between 1999 and 2001, and provides Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico with a modern venue for the performing arts.

Early years

The Lensic was a centerpiece of Santa Fe movie and vaudeville entertainment from the 1930s through the 1960s and was graced by regular appearances by well-known stars, including

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998) was an American singer, actor, and television host. Following early work under his given name, first as co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then acting, the rebra ...

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

Errol Flynn Errol Leslie Thomson Flynn (20 June 1909 – 14 October 1959) was an Australian-American actor who achieved worldwide fame during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. He was known for his romantic swashbuckler roles, freque ...

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

, and

Yehudi Menuhin Yehudi or Jehudi (Hebrew: יהודי, endonym for Jew) is a common Hebrew name: * Yehudi Menuhin (1916–1999), violinist and conductor ** Yehudi Menuhin School, a music school in Surrey, England ** Who's Yehoodi?, a catchphrase referring to t ...

Decline and restoration

Like many classic theaters in the US, the Lensic did not escape decline and deterioration from decades of use. By the end of the 1990s, The Lensic was operated and managed by United Artists film company. Its small stage size and outdated projection equipment meant that it couldn't be competitive as a multi-use venue, and thus it was used sporadically for live performance. From about 1998-1999, a non-profit group came together to raise money and restore The Lensic as a Performing Arts Center. In December 2000, the

National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 ...

recognized the Lensic as an official project of

Save America's Treasures Save America's Treasures is a United States federal government initiative to preserve and protect historic buildings, arts, and published works. It is a public–private partnership between the U.S. National Park Service and the National Trust fo ...

.National Trust for Historic Preservation: The Lensic Performing Arts Center
. preservationnation.org. In April 2001, the restoration and renovation of the Lensic was completed. A primary goal of the renovation was to provide a superior performance venue for music and dramatic productions. The rear wall was removed to increase the depth of the stage house, and the installation of advanced lighting and sound systems allowed the restored Lensic to meet that goal. The unique architectural and ornamental details were painstakingly restored. The total cost of the renovation was approximately $9 million. Today the Lensic is the major performance venue in Santa Fe and is used by the

Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival is a six-week-long summer Festival of chamber music held annually in July and August and located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It was founded in 1972 and presented its first series of concerts in 1973. Well-known mu ...

, the

Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus The ‘Santa Fe Symphony' is Santa Fe's professional full-sized orchestra with a volunteer chorus. The orchestra performs regularly at the Lensic Theater in Santa Fe. Beginnings ''The Santa Fe Symphony'' was founded by local musicians under t ...

, the

Santa Fe Desert Chorale The Santa Fe Desert Chorale is a 24-voice professional choir in Santa Fe, New Mexico which was founded in 1982. History The Santa Fe Desert Chorale was founded in 1982 by artistic director Lawrence Bandfield. He chose Santa Fe with the belief t ...

, the Santa Fe Short Story Festival, th
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet
an
Performance Santa Fe
(which sponsors a variety of music, dance, and theater events). In addition, it functions as the location for ballet and lectures, for touring companies, and is still the venue for the screening of classic films on an occasional basis.

Details

* Stage Dimensions ** Height: ** Width: ** Depth: up to * Seating Capacity ** Orchestra level: 504 (max) ** Balcony level: 317

References

External links

Official website

The Life of The Lensic

National Trust for Historic Preservation

Boller Brothers Theaters
{{Authority control Performing arts centers in New Mexico Buildings and structures in Santa Fe, New Mexico Theatres in New Mexico Culture of Santa Fe, New Mexico Boller Brothers buildings Spanish Revival architecture in New Mexico Renaissance Revival architecture in New Mexico Moorish Revival architecture in New Mexico Tourist attractions in Santa Fe, New Mexico