The Lucas Theater

Arthur Lucas and architect C.K. Howell opened the Lucas Theater in December 1921. The theater became a favorite venue for movies, touring vaudeville acts and a short-lived, in-house theater stock company. Staying on the cutting edge of technology, the theater was the first building in Savannah to install air conditioning in 1923, making the balcony a welcome retreat during the sultry summers. The front row in the mezzanine became known as “lawyer’s row” after local businessmen began spending their lunch hours sleeping in the cool, comfortable balcony.

With the advent of television and the population shift to the suburbs, the theater era began to wane. Downtown businesses began to feel the sting of suburbia, and the Lucas Theater was no exception. The Lucas Theater closed in 1976.

In 1986 the owners obtained a demolition permit and made arrangements to turn the once thriving Lucas Theater into a parking garage. The news motivated a group of Savannah citizens who founded The Lucas Theater for the Arts. The group pooled their resources, purchased the building and began what would be a $12 million restoration.

With a starting budget of $3 million and donations from Savannahians and celebrities such as Kevin Spacey, Clint Eastwood and the cast and crew of the film “Forrest Gump,” the complete restoration spanned nearly 13 years.

The Lucas Theater reopened in December 2000 with a screening of “Gone with the Wind,” and in the following months hosted Broadway shows and famous musicians. Although show attendance was high, the operation of the building proved too expensive to sustain on its own. The Savannah College of Art and Design recognized the theater as an important cultural asset in the community, and formed a relationship with The Lucas Theater for the Arts.

For a schedule of events, visit the Lucas website at http://www.scad.edu/venues/lucas/schedule.cfm

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