A historic theater in south Dallas is being renovated and expanded into a planned educational center that stakeholders hope will benefit the community.
The Forest Theater was originally built by Karl Hoblitzelle in 1949 and was primarily aimed at the predominantly Jewish community of southern Dallas. He later shifted his focus toward the African-American community as the demographics of South Dallas changed throughout the 1950s.
Theater became a staple for African-American residents of Dallas. The NorthPark Center is now organizing an exhibition to highlight the history of the Forest Theater and its contributions to Dallas.
“Giving us the opportunity to tell our story at NorthPark Center is another step in expanding community support throughout Dallas and bringing this dream to light,” said Matrice Ellis-Kirk, president of Forest Forward, the nonprofit that purchased the theater in 2017 and hopes to restore it for a new purpose.
“While the Forest Theater in South Dallas has served as a proud beacon of hope for decades, its history and significance is unknown or often forgotten by many,” said Forest Forward Executive Director and Founder Elizabeth Wattley.
“Restoring this historic treasure to its full potential as an arts and cultural center, and using it as a catalyst to improve education, housing and economic vitality, is good news for everyone who lives in Dallas and North Texas.”
Forest Forward raised $61 million to renovate the theater, but hoped to raise at least $75 million.
“The black history in this theater is incredibly rich and iconic,” Wattley he told them to FOX 4 KDFW. “We’ve had legendary performances like BB King, Gladys Knight. Even Prince has performed at the Forest Theatre.”
“The special thing about this space is that it is a point of connection,” he continued. “A lot of people have come and have a connection with this building. If these walls could talk, the stories we could hear!”
Forest Forward plans to expand the former theater and turn it into an educational center that can be used by local schools such as Martin Luther King Jr. Arts Academy. Wattley said he hopes the facility will spur economic growth in south Dallas by creating jobs and opportunities.
“You can have a podcast room, a design studio, a flex space. “We are adding a new studio theater that seats 200 people,” she said. “The concert hall will have 1,000 seats for shows, concerts and performances. There will be a plaza area and my favorite amenity is the rooftop. “It’s the first rooftop in South Dallas where you can see all of downtown and all of Fair Park.”
Wattley added that she is excited to see the Marquis Theater lit up for the first time in more than 50 years, symbolizing a rebirth of the entire community.
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2023-09-16 00:55:26
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