KEY Magazine Fort Worth

Rose Marine Theater - Blending the Old with the New
By Don Patterson

Fort Worth boasts a legacy of old and new buildings that retain their historic attributes while dressed in modern garb. A sparkling example is the Rose Marine Theater located just outside the Stockyards National Historic District. Cathy Hernandez, theater Executive Director, describes the edifice. “It was originally a movie palace, built between 1918 and 1920.” Cathy explains, “From 1920 to 1945 it showed popular films of the era. Around 1945 a fire damaged the theater and it underwent restoration. Shortly after reopening, the theater started showing Spanish language movies in response to the many Hispanic families moving into the area. In the early ‘80s the popularity of old movie palaces declined and the theater closed,” Cathy reported.

Today the theater flourishes anew, thanks to the Fort Worth Latin Arts Association, whose members lovingly undertook its restoration. The refurbished Rose Marine Theater retains its historic roots through its simple concrete and red brick façade that features a replica of the theater’s original marquee. Inside, modern theater accouterments and plush seating await patrons. Reopening in 2000, the theater began offering superb live performing arts events and films dedicated to serving a Hispanic audience.

Cathy Hernandez sees a bright future for the theater. “We are right next door to a Hispanic-styled shopping development called the Mercado Plaza. When completed, it will be a king-size draw for us.” Cathy may well be right. The blending of old and new in the theater’s façade and its dedication to Hispanic art and culture represents yet another unique multicultural attraction for Fort Worth visitors and residents.

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