Lensic Theatre, Santa Fe

Here we have the burro, the busker and the building in the beautiful Santa Fe early afternoon sunlight.

The Lensic Theatre is a fine example of a special style of New Mexican Art Deco architecture.

The Lensic Theater, located at 211 West San Francisco Street in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is an 821 seat theater designed by Boller Brothers of Kansas City, well known movie theater and vaudeville house architects who designed almost one hundred theaters throughout the West and mid-West, including the KiMo Theater in Albuquerque.

The pseudo-Moorish, Spanish Renaissance Lensic was built by Nathan Salmon and E. John Greer and opened on 24 June 1931. Its name derives from the initials of Greer's six grandchildren.

The Lensic was completely restored and renovated between 1999 and 2001, and provides Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico with a modern venue for the performing arts.

The Lensic was a centerpiece of Santa Fe movie and vaudeville entertainment from the 1930s through the 1960s and was graced by regular appearances by well-known stars including Rita Hayworth, Roy Rogers, Judy Garland, Errol Flynn, Ronald Reagan, and Yehudi Menuhin.

Today the Lensic is the major performance venue in Santa Fe and is used by the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale and more.