On Stage with The Lincoln Theatre

Preserving Heritage: The Lincoln Theatre's Legacy and Community Impact

• Bob Watkins • Episode 4

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How Can I Support The Lincoln Theatre, Marion VA?

Bob Watkins, the passionate executive director of The Lincoln Theatre, unveils the rich tapestry of this historic venue and its pivotal role in Marion, Virginia's cultural landscape. Join us as Bob shares the theatre's awe-inspiring journey from its Mayan revival debut in 1929 to its vibrant present, underpinned by community spirit and the dedicated Friends of the Lincoln program. You'll learn about the theatre's unique preservation efforts and innovative ways to contribute, ensuring this cultural icon remains a beacon of arts and entertainment for generations to come.

Curious about how you can make a difference? We explore the myriad of creative avenues through which supporters help keep the theatre alive, from naming seats in memory of loved ones to hosting unforgettable personal events. Bob also highlights the essential role of volunteers, whose contributions range from simple ushering to significant sponsorships. With fascinating stories of community support and a glance at future projects, this episode is a heartfelt tribute to the collective strength and passion that sustain this architectural gem.

To learn more about The Lincoln Theatre go to:
https://www.thelincoln.org/

The Lincoln Theatre
117 E. Main Street
Marion, Virginia  24354
276-783-6092

To learn more about The Lincoln Theatre visit:
https://www.TheLincoln.org/
The Lincoln Theatre
117 E. Main Street
Marion, Virginia 24354
276-783-6092

Speaker 1:

Welcome to On Stage with the Lincoln Theater, where history and entertainment steal the show Dive into the rich legacy of this iconic Mayan revival theater, from its 1929 debut to its starring role in Marion, Virginia's entertainment scene. Guiding us through this journey is the man in the spotlight, our executive director, Bob Watkins.

Speaker 2:

Want to be a hero for the arts. Discover how you can support the Lincoln Theater and keep the lights shining bright in Marion Virginia. Welcome back everyone. Skip Mauney, co-host slash producer, back in the studio with executive director Bob Watkins. Bob, how's it going? It's going good, skip. So, bob, for those listeners who want more than just to enjoy the shows and the entertainment that you have at the Lincoln Theater, how can they do more to support the Lincoln in Marion Virginia?

Speaker 3:

do more to support the Lincoln in Marion, Virginia? That's actually a good question. We're always looking for different opportunities for our patrons to become major supporters to the theater. Historically, this theater wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for community support and donations from the Friends of the Lincoln, which is a program that we have set up that invite people to leave a mark on the theater by making a donation, maybe naming a seat or having a plaque on the wall. There's a lot of different options, not all monetary. Some of it can be assistance with just supporting some of the performances by volunteering for ushers and things like that. We do have a Friends of the Lincoln program that's available and we have it all on our Web page that people can go ahead and go to the Web page under the activities with the theater and go to the Friends of the Lincoln and they can go ahead and make contributions if you wanted to go ahead and make a contribution in the memory of a loved one. Or we can provide different things throughout the theater to put their names on stuff there. We have a few different sponsorship levels, being that of the friend, contributor and sponsor, which are just different monetary levels for donations.

Speaker 3:

Lots of different things can be done as we get near 20 years of reopening the theater. There's a lot of things that we're now revisiting with regards to making sure that the roof is maintained. Hvac systems and everything have aged in 20 years. So there's a lot of upkeep and maintenance on the building that a nonprofit organization tends to not have those necessary means and funds to support. So our Friends of the Lincoln program has helped us tremendously. There's a lot of people that have shown a lot of support with it, but all that information can be found on the web, thelincolnorg, under those different tabs on the top. We welcome that and greatly appreciate everybody's generosity that we've had over the years. So it's really nice to get that support and everything with the friends.

Speaker 2:

What's the most creative way in the past that somebody supported the theater? Can you think of anything?

Speaker 3:

There's been so many different ways that they've supported the theater. I mean we have some that go ahead and rent the theater for their own parties. That's a nice support and they like to have a little party here and they'll support it with their rental fees to go ahead and host some parties there. Hs Williams is supported with our marquee out there, so they went ahead and donated some of the necessary work to complete the install of that marquee at the front of the building. And also the creative ways where people would be naming seats in honors of loved ones that passed that had a lot of good experiences here at the theater. Those are some of the fun ways that we've been able to have that longevity of the patrons after they've passed that have had the opportunity to go ahead and enjoy the theater. Keeping their name live and well here in the theater is always nice, warm, fuzzy feeling that I always have there with that.

Speaker 2:

Awesome. You mentioned one way you can support is through renting the facility for a party. What all's involved in that Like? What can you get as part of that With the?

Speaker 3:

rental, we'll go ahead and provide any type of sound that the individuals would need for that. If they're going to have a special event on stage, we'll go ahead and do the lights to provide that to make it a nice experience for everybody that attends. I do know we get quite a bit of support from the local Kiwanis Club, who hosts a performance here about two times a year. They do a really good job of promoting our name and everything with the assistance that we provide them to help promote and perform their show, that we provide them to help promote and perform their show. Full access to the theater. I do believe we've had weddings on stage as well. Wow, as you've seen, the theater itself is just basically a museum of art, so it's a fun venue for people to come in and enjoy that, and when they have something else that's touching as well, it's just a complete different experience there in that setting.

Speaker 2:

Is it possible to rent it out and show a movie?

Speaker 3:

Oh yeah, we've had a couple people that would screen some documentaries and things like that, so we've done some local screenings for movies and everything. And then that's just another support that they have for us to use our venue and promote us, as well as supporting it with a monetary donation that they provide. Wow.

Speaker 2:

Very cool. Well, finally, if I sponsor a seat, can I put a little plaque on it that says reserved for my future, oscar?

Speaker 3:

Yeah, absolutely, We'll go ahead and do that. We might even get a little display case for you Skip.

Speaker 2:

All right, all right, awesome, love it, bob. We'll catch you in the next episode. I hope you have a great rest of the day. Sounds great.

Speaker 3:

Thanks, you too.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for tuning in to onstage with the Lincoln theater. Want more of Mary and Virginia's entertainment scene? Visit us online at thelincolnorg yes, that's thelincolnorg or drop by our theater at 117 East Main Street. Let's keep the arts alive and kicking together.