Dunbar Theatre (Kansas)

Last updated

The Dunbar Theatre is a movie theater in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Opened in 1941, it was named after an American author Paul Laurence Dunbar. [1] It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places since July 2, 2008, and the Kansas State Registry of Historic Places. [2] [3] It is located at 1007 N Cleveland St. in the McAdams Neighborhood, which is a historically African-American Neighborhood. [3]

Contents

During the 1940s, the Dunbar Theatre was not only a destination for entertainment but also a center of the McAdams neighborhood, providing a welcoming place for African-Americans who faced segregation elsewhere in the city. Located at the intersection of 9th and Cleveland streets, the theatre was a central gathering place for locals to socialize and enjoy themselves. It became a symbol of not just a building but also a sense of community.

There is a plan to renovate the theatre and transform it into a cultural performing arts center, with expanded space for promotion of the arts and education.

Dunbar Theatre entrance Jan 2019 Dunbar Theatre 20190103 1.jpg
Dunbar Theatre entrance Jan 2019

History

Origin

The Dunbar Theatre opened on August 15, 1941, a time at which other theaters in the Wichita area did not serve African American patrons. It was designed by Raymond M. Harmon, and built specifically to serve the African American community. [4] [1] [5]

Significance

The Dunbar was the hub of the neighborhood business and social community. The area was one of only a few where African Americans could freely do business and participate in cultural and social events in the Jim Crow era. In addition to films, the Dunbar hosted plays, pageants, and touring African American performers. [6]

Wichitan Ferwilda Sears said, "The blacks didn't have a theater to go to, but the Dunbar was open to us." [4] City Councilwoman Lavonta Williams, who represents the area said, “When we were kids, we were dropped off at that theater almost every Saturday.” [7]

Decline

The Dunbar closed in 1963. The City of Wichita twice attempted to condemn and demolish the Dunbar in 1980 and 1991, 'but the historic site was saved through community action. [7]

Restoration

Restoration of the Dunbar is a project of the P.O.W.E.R. Community Development Corporation led by James Arbertha, Founding Executive Director, who hopes to reopen the Dunbar in 2020. [7] [8] Restoration of the sign and marquee took place from 2012-2014. [7] The new Marquee was dedicated on December 14, 2012. [9] The Wichita City Council approved funding more than $600,000 toward the renovation effort in November 2017. [8] Once restored, the Dunbar will be a 340-seat theater with a concession area and restrooms. [10]

The restored Dunbar Theatre sign Dunbar Theatre 20190103 3.jpg
The restored Dunbar Theatre sign
The restored Dunbar Theatre Marquee Dunbar Theatre 20190103 2.jpg
The restored Dunbar Theatre Marquee

After the existing theatre is restored, new construction will begin to add a black box theater, an arts center, educational facilities, a public gallery, and a bookstore. The restoration effort will also include the Turner Drug Store, which will be converted to a cafe. [10]

Current use

Despite the theater not being ready for use, outdoor community activities take place on the property outside. Two of the more notable events were the August 25, 2017 End of Summer Bash, and the September 3, 2018 Melanin Fest, both fundraisers for the restoration efforts. [11] [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taco Tico</span> Chain of Tex-Mex cuisine fast-food restaurants

Taco Tico is a chain of Tex-Mex cuisine fast-food restaurants headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Theatres</span> Chain of movie theaters in the United States

Fox Theatres was a large chain of movie theaters in the United States dating from the 1920s either built by Fox Film studio owner William Fox, or subsequently merged in 1929 by Fox with the West Coast Theatres chain, to form the Fox West Coast Theatres chain. Fox West Coast went into bankruptcy and was sold to The National Theatres Corporation, led by Charles Skouras, on November 20, 1933, for $17,000,000.00. Eugene V. Klein later became CEO of National, and turned it into the conglomerate National General. Mann Theatres bought National General's theatres in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KWCH-DT</span> CBS affiliate in Hutchinson, Kansas

KWCH-DT is a television station licensed to Hutchinson, Kansas, United States, serving the Wichita area as an affiliate of CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside CW affiliate KSCW-DT and maintains studios on 37th Street North in northeast Wichita and a transmitter facility located east of Hutchinson in rural northeastern Reno County. KWCH-DT serves as the flagship of the Kansas Broadcasting System (KBS), a network of four full-power stations that relay CBS network and other programming provided by KWCH across central and western Kansas, as well as bordering counties in Colorado, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSAS-TV</span> Fox affiliate in Wichita, Kansas

KSAS-TV is a television station in Wichita, Kansas, United States, affiliated with Fox and MyNetworkTV. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, which provides certain services to Hutchinson-licensed Dabl affiliate KMTW under a local marketing agreement (LMA) with Mercury Broadcasting Company. Both stations share studios on West Street in northwestern Wichita, while KSAS-TV's transmitter is located in rural northwestern Sedgwick County.

KSCW-DT is a television station in Wichita, Kansas, United States, affiliated with The CW. It is owned by Gray Television alongside Hutchinson-licensed CBS affiliate KWCH-DT. Both stations share studios on 37th Street in northeast Wichita, while KSCW-DT's transmitter is located in rural northeastern Reno County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fox Oakland Theatre</span> Concert hall, in Oakland, California

The Fox Oakland Theatre is a 2,800-seat concert hall, a former movie theater, located at 1807 Telegraph Avenue in Downtown Oakland. It originally opened in 1928, running films until 1970. Designed by Weeks and Day, the theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was refurbished in the 2000s and reopened as a concert venue on February 5, 2009.

Susan Peters is a former news anchor. She worked for KAKE, the ABC affiliate in Wichita, Kansas from 1995 to 2016. She has won regional Emmy awards for her reporting in both California and Kansas.

KBSD-DT is a television station licensed to Ensign, Kansas, United States, affiliated with CBS. Owned by Gray Television, the station maintains a news bureau and advertising sales office in Dodge City, and its transmitter is located east of K-23 in rural northwestern Gray County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joyland Amusement Park (Wichita, Kansas)</span> Defunct American amusement park

Joyland Amusement Park was an amusement park in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It was in continuous operation for 55 years, from June 12, 1949, to 2004, closing permanently in 2006. It was once the largest theme park in central Kansas and featured a wooden roller coaster and 15 other rides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Theatre</span> Music venue and theatre in Washington, D.C.

The Howard Theatre is a historic theater, located at 620 T Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C. Opened in 1910, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avalon Regal Theater</span>

The Avalon Regal Theater is a music hall located at 1641 East 79th Street, bordered by the Avalon Park and South Shore neighborhoods on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is a noted venue for African-American performers. The theater opened in August 1927.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orpheum Theatre (Wichita, Kansas)</span> United States historic place

The Orpheum Theatre is a historic theater in downtown Wichita, Kansas, United States. It was designed by renowned theatre architect John Eberson with funding from a group of local investors and opened on September 4, 1922.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Folly Theater</span> United States historic place

The Standard Theatre, now known as the Folly Theater and also known as the Century Theater and Shubert's Missouri, is a former vaudeville hall in downtown Kansas City, Missouri. Built in 1900, it was designed by Kansas City architect Louis S. Curtiss. The theater was associated with the adjoining Edward Hotel, which was also designed by Curtiss; the hotel was demolished in 1965.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lincoln Theatre (Columbus, Ohio)</span> United States historic place

The Lincoln Theatre is a 582-seat performing arts venue located at 769 E. Long Street in the King-Lincoln Bronzeville neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. The theater is owned by the City of Columbus under the auspices of the Lincoln Theatre Association. Operation of the facility is managed by CAPA. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loew's Theatre (New Rochelle)</span>

Loew's Theatre is a historic movie theater located on Main Street in the Downtown section of the city of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York.

The Kansas Star Casino is a casino and hotel in western Mulvane, Kansas, United States, owned and managed by Boyd Gaming. It is located on the west side of the I-35.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Barton (filmmaker)</span> American filmmaker

Nicholas Dean Barton is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, editor, and cinematographer. He has written and directed feature films such as Death Alley, Hyde Park and Wichita. He also has created the series Zoos to You, Greensters, and Queens of Camo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center (Lexington, Kentucky)</span>

The Lyric Theatre and Cultural Arts Center is a nonprofit, city-owned, multi-use arts and performance venue located at the corner of Third Street and Elm Tree Lane in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. Opened in 1948 as a cultural hub of Lexington's segregated African-American community, the Lyric closed in 1963 and remained in disrepair for almost 50 years. Planning for this renovation began in the 1990s. In 2010, the Urban County Council of Lexington allotted $6 million to revive and reopen the theater under a new mission as a center for art, community, history, and education. The renovated building seats 540 in its proscenium theater and now includes an African-American culture museum, rotating gallery, courtyard, and 325-capacity multi-purpose room. The Lyric hosts arts performances, rental events, luncheons, movie viewings, youth programs, and other events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McAdams, Wichita, Kansas</span> Neighborhood in Sedgwick, Kansas, United States

McAdams is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A mixed industrial and residential area northeast of Downtown Wichita, it is a historical center of the city’s African American community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lily Wu</span> American politician (born 1984)

Lily Wu is an American politician and former television news anchor, currently serving as the 103rd mayor of Wichita, Kansas, since 2024. Although the position is non-partisan, and the party made no election endorsements, she is a registered voting member of the Libertarian Party. 

References

  1. 1 2 "Dunbar Theatre in Wichita, KS - Cinema Treasures". cinematreasures.org. Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  2. ↑ "Asset Detail". npgallery.nps.gov. US National Park Service: National Register of Historic Places. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  3. 1 2 "Dunbar Theatre - Registers of Historic Places - Kansas Historical Society". www.kshs.org. Kansas Historical Society. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  4. 1 2 "Historic Dunbar Theater getting primed for renewal". www.kake.com. KAKE TV. Retrieved 2019-01-02.
  5. ↑ KWCH. "Wichita City Council approves spending to help restore, reopen historic Dunbar Theatre". www.kwch.com. Retrieved 2019-01-08.
  6. ↑ "Plan Proposes "The Dunbar" as a One-of-a-Kind Offering". Community Voice KS. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Lefler, Dion. "Historic Wichita theater could reopen by 2020". Kansas.com. The Wichita Eagle. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  8. 1 2 3 Johnston, Katie. "Historic Dunbar Theater the backdrop for Melanin Fest". www.kwch.com. KWCH TV. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  9. ↑ Weems, Robert E. Jr. "Past and Present: Dunbar Theater". www.kmuw.org. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  10. 1 2 KWCH. "Plan presented to restore Wichita's historic Dunbar Theatre". www.kwch.com. KWCH TV. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
  11. ↑ Cowzinski, Manny. "Things To Do In Doo-Dah | Manny | B98 FM". Manny. B98 FM. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.