Talk:Strand Theater, Lakewood
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The Strand Theater In Lakewood, New Jersey is a National Historic Landmark.
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[edit] History
Built in the early 1900s by architect Thomas Lamb, the theater was first used as a place for pre-broadway runs of shows. The theater opened in 1922 during a time when the rich and famous considered Lakewood a playground. The first event at the strand was a showing of a silent film called "Peacock Alley" starring Mae Murray. Soon to follow was a pre-broadway run of "The Devine Cook" starring Florence Reed. During World War Two, the theater became a cinema house only and omitted the acts of vaudville that had made it famous. As movie theaters became abundant in suberbia, the theater lost its audience. It tried to recapture its audience in many way including becoming a Porn theater in the 1970s. In 1981 the theater was added to the list of historical places in New Jersey. In May of 1982, it was added to the national register for historic places.
[edit] A Fire
In 1992, as the Red Oak theater company was putting on a performance, a fire broke out effectively destroying much of the theater. Afterward, a 2.5 million dollar grant was awarded for remodeling. The theater was completely remodeled and even underwent plans to make the theater completely ADA accessible.
