The idea that communities thrive when they have access to meaningful resources is the driving force behind the nonprofit St. Lawrence Arts.
Housed in the restored historic Parish Hall Theater in St. Lawrence Church on Portland’s Munjoy Hill, it provides those resources in several ways – from the productions it rolls out to the stage and space it provides to its upkeep of the landmark.
That encompasses the threefold mission of Friends of the St. Lawrence: to be an affordable and accessible venue for diverse offerings of performance arts, from theater and dance to music and workshops; to add cultural enrichment and social interaction to its neighborhood and Greater Portland; and to revitalize the landmark itself.
An architecturally important design in the Romanesque, Queen Anne style, created in 1897 by Arthur Bates Jennings, the church needed help. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, the structure suffered from disrepair until 1996, when the Friends of the St. Lawrence stepped in to rebuild and rehabilitate the building, opening the 110-seat Parish Hall Theater in 2001. Currently, there is a plan for a $10 million expansion, still in the financing stage.
In the meantime, the shows all go on: St. Lawrence hosts several performances through the end of summer into October, while its theater in residence sets up shop to present its first show, “Admissions,” in October.
Alexandra Hall is a longtime New England lifestyle writer who recently moved to Maine.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.