Suffolk University’s search for increased classroom and dormitory space has led to the Modern Theatre, the last of three theatres on lower Washington Street in need of a savior. The nearby Paramount Theatre is currently being renovated by Emerson College and the adjacent Opera House reopened in 2004 to house Broadway touring productions.
Suffolk’s proposed plan for the space will retain the historic marble and sandstone façade, creating a ground floor performance space with a dormitory above that will connect to the new dorm at 10 West Street.
“This is a momentous opportunity to raise Suffolk’s profile in the Boston theatre community by creating a state-of-the-art facility while contributing to the revitalization of lower Washington Street,” says Professor Marilyn Plotkins, chair of the Theatre Department.
The Modern Theatre, built as a furniture store in 1876, became Boston’s first movie house in 1913 and 15 years later the first theatre in the city wired for sound. After a brief stint screening adult films in the 70s, an attempt to restore the space into a performing arts center eventually failed in the early 80s. The Modern has remained vacant and in increasing need of repair for the last 20 years.
“The project fulfills an academic need of the University,” says John Nucci, vice president for external affairs, “and also restores an important part of Boston’s history.”
The Modern Theatre project, part of the University’s Institutional Master Plan, has been very well received by the community, particularly Mayor Thomas M. Menino, whose administration has pushed for the preservation of Boston’s historic theatres. And with the addition of the Modern, the University will be halfway to its goal of housing 50% of its undergraduate students.
“The Modern Theatre and West Street Dorm complex promises to be one of the most attractive and exciting areas of the University and the neighborhood,” says Nucci.
Video of The Modern Theatre opening here.
