Fox–Watson Theater Building

The Stiefel Theatre (originally the Fox–Watson Theater) is a theatre in Salina, Kansas. Opening in 1931[2] it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 as the "Fox–Watson Theater Building".[3]

Stiefel Theatre
Side exterior view of venue (c.2015)
Full nameStiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts
Former namesFox–Watson Theater (1931–1987)
Address151 S Santa Fe Ave
Salina, KS 67401-2809
LocationDowntown Salina
OwnerCity of Salinas
Capacity1,265
Construction
OpenedFebruary 23, 1931 (1931-02-23)
Renovated1997-2003
Construction cost$400,000
($5.96 million in 2019 dollars[1])
ArchitectBoller Brothers
Website
Venue Website
Fox–Watson Theater Building
Architectural styleArt Deco
NRHP reference No.88001171
Added to NRHPAugust 4, 1988

History
Marquee showcasing a concert by Mat Kearney, May 2015

The Fox–Watson Theatre, as it was then called, was opened in late February 1931. The theater was the brain-child of Winfield W. Watson, a local businessman and banker. He led the campaign to bring a movie house to Salina and donated the land for the theater. Fox West Coast Theatres built the art deco style movie house at a cost of $400,000. Boller Brothers, an architectural firm out of Kansas City, Missouri, designed the structure.[4]

The opening feature was Not Exactly Gentlemen featuring Fay Wray. The theater was closed in August 1987 by then owners Dickinson Theaters, as competition from Dickinson's mall theaters made the downtown location unprofitable.

Dickinson gave the theater to the city in 1989. It was restored by a non-profit group over several years and reopened as The Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts on March 8, 2003.[5]

The mission of the theater is to "enrich, educate and entertain", while the programming goal is to "offer a broad base of quality entertainment in a variety of genres that will appeal to a large demographic". The theater provides entertainment for young audiences, and is the location of the Salina Symphony.[6]

Noted performers

Source:[7][8]

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References
  1. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  2. "Stiefel Watson Theatre". Abandoned, Old and Interesting Kansas. February 6, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  3. Hagedorn-Krass, Martha (April 22, 1988). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Fox–Watson Theater Building". National Park Service. Retrieved February 9, 2016. Accompanying 31 photos from 1931, 1937, and 1988.
  4. "The Historic Stiefel Theatre in Salina, Kansas". Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts. February 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  5. Salina History Book Committee, ed. (November 17, 2008). Salina: 1858-2008 (Images of America). Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 89. ISBN 9780738561813.
  6. Demuth, Gary (March 1, 2015). "Stiefel Theatre director strives to book diversity of musical acts for all ages". The Salina Journal. Harris Enterprises. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  7. Schnyder, Melinda (September 16, 2016). "Road trip to one of Kansas' historic theaters". The Wichita Eagle. The McClatchy Company. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
  8. "Stiefel Theatre Shows since 2003". Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts Official Website. July 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
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