Photo by Doug Duvall
The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities threw open today its search for the next person or organization that would like a crack at running the Lincoln Theatre, the historic venue on U Street NW that the commission took direct control of in January after its previous operator continued to lose money.
But the commission doesn’t want to be running the day-to-day operation of a theater badly in need of a facelift forever. Screenings of David Fincher’s adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo were marginally successful, but for the most part, the theater goes unused. Mayor Vince Gray announced last week that a request for proposals (RFP) to take the Lincoln’s reins was in the pipeline.
The RFP released today has a pretty simple ask: Someone who can run a 1,225-seat theater successfully and dynamically while maintaining its historic reputation as a cornerstone of the neighborhood.
“After months of research, we’ve come to the conclusion that in the best interest of the theatre today, a commercial model must be developed,” Lionell Thomas, DCCAH’s executive director, said in a press release.
The commission will host informational meetings and visits to the theater between September 4 and 7. Proposals are due September 21, and the winning contract is scheduled to be awarded November 30.
