Gretchen Greene - Company Showcase 2026 Lucas Theatre for the Arts Savannah

The Lucas Theatre is located in Savannah, Georgia, and broke ground in 1921. The venue opened to the public on December 26, 1921. It is under the ownership of Savannah College of Art and Design. The building was designed and built by Claude K. Howell in a Spanish Baroque style. The venue's interior reflects historic architectural styles such as Greek Revival, art deco, and Adams. The theater serves as the home venue to the Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra. The venue was an idea of Arthur Lucas, a businessman from Atlanta who the venue is named after. During its construction, the theater was known as "Jewel of Savannah." In 1927, the venue became the first to have air conditioning in Savannah.

After WWII, the Lucas Theatre closed in 1976 and was even slated to be demolished. Luckily, Savannahians succeeded in preventing its demolition, and the building was purchased and renovated by them. The fundraising event was participated by film director Clint Eastwood and leading actor Kevin Spacey of the film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil in 1997. The venue reopened in 2000 with a film screening of Gone with the Wind. The theater now hosts some annual events such as the Savannah Film Festival and the Savannah Music Festival. The theater also offers Dolby Digital surround sound along with 4K digital cinema projection.