Princess Theatre, Launceston
In 1911 Marino succeeded in building a theatre of his own design in Brisbane Street, Launceston. With a capacity audience of almost 1,900, the Princess Theatre was referred to in the Daily Telegraph newspaper at the time, as the only theatre in Tasmania with such up-to-date appliances, and which are equal to any in other states.
Lucas' efforts with the theater are noted in the following quote from The Launceston Examiner of Monday 28 August 1911.
Costing between £14,000 and £15,000 the Princess was built for Mr Marino Lucas, a vaudeville entrepreneur from Hobart. All the work except for the stamped metal ceilings was done in Launceston. Messrs J & T Gunn were the contractors for the building, decoration and electric lighting.. The Theatre was built to hold 1800 people "comfortably". There were two cloakrooms in the upstairs foyer, one for the ladies with a "huge swinging mirror" and one for the gentlemen. It is probably best not to wonder about the 1200 patrons who were seated downstairs.
In 1913 he returned to Melbourne, remaining there until 1916. Again moving to Launceston he built another theatre, The Majestic, which opened in 1917 and was evidently influenced by Lucas' Ithacecian roots. The architecture is Grecian, commented the Launceston Daily Telegraph, and at the top one can see glimpses of the ancient Pantheon style. The paper concluded that 'the Majestic Theatre is undoubtedly one of the most modern in Australia.
A 1914 census entry listed Marino Lucas' address as 42 The Avenue, St. Kilda, whilst the 1916 Secret Census recorded seven Tasmanians of Greek extraction, two of them living in Launceston. Marinos Lucas (Lekatsas) nominated himself as a picture theatre proprietor aged 47.
By 1918, he was listed at 97 Westbury Street, St. Kilda and in 1922 at 62 Gourlay Street. In the 1927 census he was shown to be residing at his final address, 67 Alexandra St. St. Kilda.
Perhaps Marino's influence on the Princess Theatre lives on?
A British website investigating 'haunted' theatres states that at Launceston's Princess there are Reported incidents of temperature drops, heavy footsteps, and piano being played.Arts Info
Read more about this topic: Marino Lucas
Famous quotes containing the word princess:
“You may be a princess or the richest woman in the world, but you cannot be more than a lady.”
—Jennie Jerome Churchill (1854–1921)