When in Rome, See the DeSoto Theatre

Act One of a restoration has begun at an Art Deco theater in Rome, Ga., a hotspot since it opened in 1929. Last week, the town celebrated the rehabilitation of the DeSoto Theatre's vestibule, where ornate plasterwork was in dire need of repair.

"Frankly, we just didn't have the resources to keep the building up.

We did the best that we could, but our primary focus was our productions," says Jim Powell, a member of the board of the Historic DeSoto Theatre Foundation. "This is just the first of hopefully many restoration projects" throughout the building.

The DeSoto got a little help from Atlanta Landmarks Inc., owner of the Fox Theatre, an 80-year-old National Historic Landmark in Atlanta. Last July, that group formed the Fox Theatre Institute to help other communities restore their performance venues. The institute donated $24,000 to the $36,000 project at the DeSoto; it plans to help 14 other theaters across the state.

"What the institute seeks to do is spread the good news, spread the knowledge, to other theaters," says Adina Erwin, assistant general manager of the Fox Theatre. "We want to reach out and make sure these theaters thrive. It's not just about restoration; it's about the infectiousness of a successful and preserved historic theater … and the economic impact these theaters have on their communities."

The DeSoto needs additional work, estimated to cost as much as $1 million.

The next imperative, according to Powell, is repairing the building's damaged main roof.

The DeSoto stopped showing movies in 1982 but has been home to a popular theater company since then, offering performances of everything from "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" to "Alice in Wonderland." Says Powell: "It's so popular; it's right in the middle of our downtown area. There's a lot of interest and support in the community to try to restore it back to its 1929 grandeur."