Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Shakespeare and Ray Charles Were Here


Washington DC commercial real estate - Carter Barron amphitheater in Rock Creek Park
In normal times, a shuttered and decaying theater on one of DC's main corridors would be unusual, even alarming.  Though normal times these are not, the site of a decaying outdoor theater in one of the nation's great parks is an arresting vision, and while the world searches for outdoor venues as safe havens of fresh, virus-free air, the city's preeminent outdoor theater, tucked benignly into Rock Creek Park, is gradually decaying in silent abandonment.

Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - construction news
Closed in the spring of 2017, the victim not of age or accident, but of an engineering study finding that the stage did not meet updated building codes and was therefore not safe for supporting the plays performed  since 1950, the theater was locked down pending an upgrade to the stage floor.  Built in celebration of the sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary of the nation and christened by President Harry S Truman, and by the Executive Vice Chairman of the commission dedicated to commemorate the anniversary, Carter T. Barron.  Shortly after its opening, the latter died of cancer and the theater was renamed in his honor, and before long hosted Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Diana Ross, Harry Belafonte and Ray Charles.

The riots of '68 saw a change of fortune for the Carter Barron Amphitheater, but the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Kool and the Gang still made appearances, though it was not until 1991, when updates to the facility, a group of benefactors and a popular Shakespeare production brought crowds back to venue in the park, with the seating completely rebuilt in 2004.  Little has changed since 1950, with a stage curtain added, then removed, though weeds and graffiti are now slowly winning the battle of attrition, with no anticipated date for reconstruction.

Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - park news
click on image for expanded photo gallery

Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - Shakespeare

Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - entrance


Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - NPS funding

Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - closed theaters


Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - real estate

Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - Samuel Johnson

Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - real estate sites


Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - outdoor theaters

National Park Service: Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - construction news

urban decay photos, Washington DC

Washington DC theaters

Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - commercial real estate site



Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - commercial property brokerage

Washington DC Rock Creek Park property

Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington DC - retail real estate

Carter Barron Amphitheater, Rock Creek Park, Washington District of Columbia

Washington D.C. retail and real estate development news

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Commercial ads will be deleted, so don't even think about it.

 

DCmud - The Urban Real Estate Digest of Washington DC Copyright © 2008 Black Brown Pop Template by Ipiet's Blogger Template