Commission on the Arts and Humanities releases a Request for Proposals for the operation of the Lincoln Theatre

1215 U Street, NW

In January the Lincoln Theatre showed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Do you hope the new operators will show more movies, comedy shows or concerts?

From a press release:

Today, the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities (DCCAH) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the operation of the historic Lincoln Theatre.

With the RFP, the DCCAH is seeking an operator to manage all aspects of the historic U Street Theatre – from staffing, management, booking and marketing. The Arts Commission will hire a commercial operator for the theater before the end of this calendar year.

“A vibrant U Street corridor deserves a vibrant Lincoln Theatre,” said Mayor Vincent C. Gray. “I look forward to seeing the Lincoln reborn as another lively venue for our city’s ever-growing arts scene.”

“When the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities obtained oversight of the theater in January, our goal was to develop a sustainable business model for the theater,” said Lionell Thomas, Executive Director for the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities. “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.”

Over the last 8 months, the theater has functioned as a mixed-use venue, much like it did in its early years – hosting a film, comedy shows, concerts and other performance events. Under the direction of a new operator, the city would like the Lincoln to continue in this direction.

The RFP is being administered by the Department of General Services.