The Lewis Theatre opened in downtown Lewisburg, WV in 1939, where "small vaudeville" entertainment was performed live before film showings. It has operated continuously since then, serving the local community and visitors. The Lewis Theatre is featured in the West Virginia Historic Theatre Trail, a project of the Preservation Alliance of WV and the State Historic Preservation Office. It is also a listed in the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing building of the Lewisburg downtown historic district.
In 2007, three board members of Trillium Performing Arts Collective, Ann Davis, Lin Preston, and Larry Levine, formed ALL Arts, LLC., a limited liability company to purchase of the Lewis Theatre building. ALL Arts became the manager of the building, including the movie business and Trillium became the artist-in-residence company for the theatre.
After nearly 70 years of operation, the Lewis Theatre needed some significant TLC. Trillium initiated a capital campaign to renovate the theatre into a space suitable for both film and live performances. With the help of persevering staff, many donors and volunteers, the first phase of renovation was completed in fall of 2009, allowing us to host our first concert production in our new home in December of that year.
Even amidst the economic downturn that occurred during the opening year of the capital campaign, Trillium completed this phase of renovation without accruing any debt. A rare accomplishment these days, and one consciously determined by the board of directors. The renovations have been praised by the community.
As funds are raised, further renovations will update the venue for accessibility, fire and safety upgrades, natural lighting and energy efficiency. Please donate to our capital campaign.
Trillium now presents three professional dance and movement theater concerts at the Lewis Theatre annually, in addition to eight Friday Night Alive! showcases and other one-time and on-going events.
The Lewis Theatre shows movies daily. Sign up for weekly e-mail reminders of upcoming films by joining our mailing list and selecting the Lewis Theatre option. You can also visit the Lewis Theatre pages on Facebook and Myspace: www.myspace.com/thelewistheatre.
