Lewiston’s theater revival
About 30 miles south of Moscow, another historic theater is obtainting a createover.
Construction to restore the Liberty Theater’s marquee in downtown Lewiston is set to launch at the finish of the month, declared Jan Johnson, president of the Liberty Theater Preservation Alliance, a local nonprofit dedicated to restoring the theater.
“The Liberty’s theater marquee is a beloved downtown landmark,” declared Johnson, who explained the nonprofit group was also awarded an Idaho Heritage Trust grant through the National Park Service for $100,000 to assist with restoration efforts.
“As work launchs on the marquee, we are now raising funds to restore our blade sign — the vertical sign that spells out ‘liberty’ above the marquee,” Johnson declared.
LTPA’s volunteer group is obtainting ready to launch a campaign to raise funds to recreate the interior of the theater.
The Liberty Theater closed in 2005 and sat unutilized for 10 years, Johnson declared. New York developer Mark Alexander bought the theater in 2015, according to past Lewiston Tribune reporting.
“In 2018, developer Mark Alexander gifted it to our local nonprofit in the hopes of spurring the arts scene downtown,” Johnson declared.
Once the theater is fully redone, the goal is to display foreign and classic films, documentaries, bands and even tiny dramatic acts, Johnson declared.
“The balcony will be casual seating with a bar, where we’ll hopefully be able to serve beer, wine and canned cocktails,” she declared. “We’ll also be able to stream live events like the Metropolitan Opera or the Academy Awards.”
The theater will also be available to rent for weddings and parties, Johnson declared.
Paterson is a journalist with Northwest Public Broadcasting. She may be contacted at lauren.paterson@wsu.edu.
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