The League of Historic American Theatres was officially founded in 1977, four years after the initial planning meeting held at Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT. Hosted by Goodspeed Executive Director Michael Price, Robert D. Stoddard, Director of Development, Grand Opera House, (Wilmington, DE); Alan McCracken, Executive Director, Ohio Theatre (Columbus, OH); and Robert Tolan, Executive Director, Fulton Opera House (Lancaster, PA) were in attendance. The mission of the League remains the same today as it was conceived then -- to support and facilitate the rescue, restoration and reuse of historic theatres.
The League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT) is an international not-for-profit membership association. LHAT is a network of people who appreciate the cultural and architectural heritage of theatres and who work locally and nationally to rehabilitate them to serve communities throughout North America and abroad. Members of the League collaborate with one another, share their expertise and provide inspiration, information and a broad perspective to those working in the field of preservation.
With only three full time employees, and in addition to its day-to-day membership services, LHAT organizes comprehensive annual conferences in diverse cities. The conference offers members valuable informational seminars and workshops; the opportunity for owners/managers to share ideas; and access to representatives from the vast network of preservation, design, and operations service providers who also belong to the League. And, perhaps most enjoyably, the conference provides tours of the selected city's restored theatres.
This past summer's 25th anniversary conference in New York City was the League's most successful conference to date. In addition to the record number of attendees, Board member Ann Sachs managed to enroll many new members from the ranks of the restored 42nd Street historic theatres which were generously opened to the massive group for touring. From the 1977 membership roster of 41, the League has grown to over 500 members.
Congratulations to Terrance Demas, Jon Poehlman (JP), and Colleen Eierman and to the tireless Board of Directors and volunteers who make the League of Historic American Theatres a valuable and relevant preservation organization.
www.lhat.org
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