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by Scott Mortimore
The historical and national significance of the Lear
Theater structure, completed in 1939 as a church, lies primarily
with its architect, Paul Revere Williams. Internationally acclaimed,
Mr. Williams was the first African-American to become a member,
fellow and later president of the American Institute of Architects.
He achieved fame in the 1930s, 40s and 50s through his distinctive
designs and high profile commissions, including the Beverly Hills
Hotel and Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills, numerous celebrity
residences and the arch “theme building” at the Los
Angeles International Airport. Mr. Williams was drawn to northern
Nevada through association with affluent residents newly settled
in Reno from California. His work earned him credit as one of the
shapers of modern Los Angeles, and he is remembered for breaking
new ground as the first black architect to achieve such success.
The Lear Theater building is an elegant, simplified neo-classical
structure and is listed in the City, State and National Registers
of Historic Places. It faces the Truckee River on Riverside Drive
in downtown Reno within an area identified by various City agencies
as the “downtown cultural corridor.” Formerly the First
Church of Christ, Scientist, the building housed services for the
church from 1939 until April 1998, when The Theater Coalition purchased
the building with a $1.1 million donation from Moya Lear, the theater’s
namesake. With the building under The Theater Coalition’s
ownership, work began to raise the funds necessary to transform
the historic church into a first-class, state-of-the-art theater.
Upon completion of the renovation in July 2005, the Lear will house
four performance spaces, including a 425-seat main auditorium, a
cabaret/children’s theater, a studio theater and an outdoor
festival plaza.
For more information please contact the Lear Theater offices at
(775) 786-2278, or visit their website at leartheater.org.
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