I09: At the blog After The Final Curtain, photographer Matt Lambros documents some of the most majestically collapsing theaters across the United States.Despite the fact that many of these post-apocalyptic auditoriums have been vacant for decades, Lambros' gorgeous photos imbue these now-hidden places with a shred of habitability...even if all the seats have been torn to shreds.
Thursday, October 06, 2011
The show will never go on again — the most resplendent abandoned theaters across America
I09: At the blog After The Final Curtain, photographer Matt Lambros documents some of the most majestically collapsing theaters across the United States.Despite the fact that many of these post-apocalyptic auditoriums have been vacant for decades, Lambros' gorgeous photos imbue these now-hidden places with a shred of habitability...even if all the seats have been torn to shreds.
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7 comments:
It is sad how such beautiful theatres are decaying so much. I wish there was something to do with these spaces other than restore them which is quite pricey. They do provide the atmosphere for some avant-garde or location specific performances but beyond that sadly there really isn't much to do with these spaces.
It would be interesting to get the back story on a lot of these places, just to think everything that has happened there, every performer that has performed there. These theatres are full of such rich history it is a shame to see it all turn to dust.
Although it is terrible to see such beautiful spaces abandoned and isolated in such a way, there is a quiet beauty in these images. Corrupted in every way, solemn, but still magnificent are these theaters- I agree it would be interesting to have some form of avant-garde theater in these spaces- creating an interesting dynamic between new and old- past, forgot, paired with something new with life. I just hope that these spaces are put to some use, and if not will be respected in some form or fashion.
All of these theaters look so sad and dilapidated but, like the other two have said, they are really beautiful. There is some classically designed structures and details within each of these buildings and that in itself is special. There are a lot of photographers that take pictures of buildings and spaces or things that are decomposing, which only goes to show how beautiful and somewhat inspiring these buildings are. It doesn't even have to be photographers, I think that all artists can draw something out of the old. It is kind of what we are about these days. We are making headway into various subjects and even finding those rare breakthrough moments but a lot of it is returning back and learning from the past. Right now, the show that is going up Good Person of Setzuan, is using a dilapidated theater as a backdrop to their show. The scene designer showed us the many pictures of old theaters, completely abandoned and it was clear where his newfound inspiration cam from. So things like that come out of what was lost and it can create something really great.
I agree with the other commenters: while it's very sad how such beautiful spaces can become so rundown and dilapidated, there is also a quiet beauty and solemnity to these pictures that has the potential to inspire in a really beautiful way. It would be so interesting to see how these spaces can be used in a new way (provided they are safe, of course). The spaces themselves have such history and character to them that they could provide a really interesting backdrop to many productions, both avant garde and more traditional. I think that just seeing these pictures and thinking about how sad it is that they are falling to ruin ignores the potential that these spaces still have to inspire and be a space for creation and art.
While it is a sad to see these theaters being run down and abandoned, it's there is also a special quality of them. A quietness that lies there. Yes, we have our high tech machinery, but eventually things decay as these pictures show, and the photos, and the theaters through them, tell a story all on their own. It might be interesting to put on a piece to help enhance these spaces, especially because even though they are broken down, they hold a special place in particular for us all as theater practitioners. Even if that's not the case, it's interesting to just observe these pictures on their own and see what they say by themselves, and see how they affect us just as they are
There are far more places like that than most people are aware of. Just over a year ago the South Hills Theater was torn down, and many of the people who watched saw it as the demise of a movie theater that was closed for several years, but having visited it a few times after its closing there was far more to it, when it opened early in the 20th century it was a Vaudeville house, then later it hosted concerts before becoming a very large single-screen movie theater when the stage was empty. It wasn't until the demise of the single-screen theaters that it was carved up into four smaller screens, and then eventually ran out of business altogether.
I wonder if in taking these photos, the photographer meant to highlight this quiet beauty that the other commenters are talking about, or if it is more of a call to action. The main theater that was photographed is apparently still in the process of awaiting renovation. While these theaters would definitely be interesting to house more modern shows, kind of the same aesthetic the BAM theater has (though specifically designed) in New York, it seems more disparaging that there are so many abandoned theater spaces. It is at least encouraging to see that areas like this are being repaired in our area, specifically the reconstruction of the New Granada Theater in the Hill District. Their project is interesting because they are inviting people to guided tours the destroyed theater as they are working on its rehabilitation.
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