The Lobero Theatre is a performing arts theater in Santa Barbara, California. Originally built in 1873, the theater was registered as a California Historical Landmark in 1939. It is now California’s oldest theater in continuous operation and the fourth-oldest performing arts theater in the United States.
History
The Lobero Theatre opened in 1873. It was originally built as an opera house in a refurbished adobe schoolhouse by Italian immigrant José Lobero. In 1924, architects George Washington Smith and Lutah Maria Riggs rebuilt the theater for the Drama Branch of the Community Arts Association, during a period when civil leaders in Santa Barbara were increasingly focusing on Spanish Colonial Revival architecture.
A California historical landmark, the theater is California’s oldest continuously operating theater and the fourth-oldest performing arts theater in the United States.
Description
Located downtown at the corner of Anacapa and Canon Perdido streets, The theatre continues to host arts and cultural events on 250 or more days per year. Because of its live acoustics and relatively small size it is particularly suited to chamber music.
See also
- History of Santa Barbara, California
- California Historical Landmarks in Santa Barbara County, California
References
External links
- Lobero Theatre
- Lobero Theatre Records, at the University of California, Santa Barbara Library.