The League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT) has bestowed the Outstanding Historic Theatre Award on Jacksonville’s Florida Theatre. Numa Saisselin (president, Florida Theatre) and Don Cameron (chairperson, Board of Directors, Florida Theatre Performing Arts Center, Inc.) accepted the award at the awards banquet on July 20.
The Outstanding Historic Theatre Award recognizes a theater that demonstrates excellence through its community impact, quality of programs and services, and quality of the restoration or rehabilitation of its historic structure. An award-winning theater will have demonstrated excellence through significant achievement, the impact of its services and breadth of populations served, and the length of time and/or intensity of its activities.
The League’s Awards Program inspires excellence by recognizing theaters and individuals for their significant accomplishments or distinguished service to their field.
“Stewarding a historic institution and precious community asset like the Florida Theatre is a team effort, and on behalf of the board, the staff and the volunteers, which is well over 400 people, it was an honor to receive this national recognition,” said Saisselin.
“My wife Holly and I love live music so much that we named our dogs after two members of the Eagles. I remember going to the Florida Theatre as a kid. It was a special place then, and it still is now. As a music lover and a Jacksonville native, I am proud to support the nonprofit Florida Theatre and bring this award home for our community,” said Cameron.
Originally opened in 1927 to accommodate live performances and motion pictures, the Florida Theatre has undergone numerous transformations over the years (including the 1983 reopening, new member lounge in 2022, and $8 million renovation in 2023 just to name a few). And it has seen history unfold: from the Great Depression two years after opening, to Elvis performing here in 1956, to segregation/integration in the late 1960s, to surviving the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Today, the only historic theater left on Forsyth Street (where Jay the resident ghost lives), it stands as a premier performing arts center, hosting a diverse array of events including concerts, shows, comedy acts and community events. Its rich history and stunning Mediterranean Revival architecture make it a beloved landmark and a focal point of Jacksonville's cultural scene.
