Lisner Auditorium

Building in the United States of America

Lisner Auditorium

Lisner Auditorium in June 2020

Address| 730 21st St, NW
Washington, D.C.
United States
Public transit| Washington Metro
at Foggy Bottom
Owner| George Washington University
Capacity| 1,350[1]
Construction
Opened| 1946
Architect| Faulkner & Kingsbury
Website
www.lisner.org

Lisner Auditorium

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Show map of Central Washington, D.C.

Show map of the District of Columbia

Show map of the United States

Coordinates| 38°53′57.57″N 77°2′49.13″W﻿ / ﻿38.8993250°N 77.0469806°W﻿ / 38.8993250; -77.0469806
Architectural style| Stripped Classicism
NRHP reference No.| 90001548[2]
Designated | October 25, 1990

Lisner Auditorium is a performance venue sited on the Foggy Bottom campus of George Washington University at 730 21st Street Northwest, Washington, D.C. Named for Abram Lisner (1852-1938), a university trustee and benefactor whose will provided one million dollars towards its construction, it was designed in 1940 and completed in 1946. Constructed in the stripped classicist style of the late Art Deco and host to major classical, folk, rock, blues, opera, and theatrical performances over the decades, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990 for its dual significance as an architectural work and as a performance venue.[3]

The auditorium played a key role in desegregation at George Washington University and in Washington, D.C.; its 1946 grand opening became a city-wide target for the desegregation of the city's theaters and a catalyst for George Washington students calling on the university to admit African American students.[4] The auditorium seats 1,350[5] and is the home of the Washington Concert Opera.

## Architecture

[edit]

Lisner Auditorium extends the modernist ethos favored by its architect, Waldron Faulkner (1898-1978), who was born in Paris, France, educated at Yale University, and became influential in Washington, D.C., area architecture, where he designed numerous institutional and residential structures. His work at GW began in the 1930s. Lisner Hall (housing Lisner Library), in whitewashed brick, was completed in 1939 to match the Bauhaus style of flanking Bell Hall (1935) and Stuart Hall (1936). Hall of Government (1939) was the first university building clad in limestone (and in 1951, he designed the adjoining Monroe Hall in similar style). These 1930s modernist additions represented a sharp departure from the university's 1920s Harris Plan, which had called for a full block of Georgian Revival buildings enclosing what is now University Yard. This combination of modernist Bauhaus and Art Deco styles represents the architects' interpretation of university president Cloyd Heck Marvin's distaste for the Colonial Revival style and his insistence on "useful" architecture instead. Marvin and Faulkner's one exception in this era is Hattie M. Strong Hall, designed in a Georgian style they thought appropriately "domestic" for a women's dormitory.[3][6][7]

According to the National Register of Historic Places registration form, Lisner Auditorium's stripped classicism "expresses its modern roots in the basic geometric form of a cube." The structure is "sheathed in a tight skin of light colored limestone"; the "alternating limestone courses of square and rectangular blocks and the precise placement of joints present a pleasing pattern to the stonework." The "projecting box-like portico offers the only relief to the severe geometrical form of the building," with its "scale and abstracted columns echo[ing] classical qualities." Doors, grates, and lighting features of "loosely" Art Deco origin provide minimal ornamentation, a theme continued on the interior. Overall, "its modern and formal character are skillfully manipulated to speak [to] the building's function as a prominent center for the performing arts in Washington." Lisner Auditorium's resonance with the 1938 and 1939 First Medal winners of the Beaux Arts Institute's Paris Prize Competitions speaks to its communication with international movements in architecture at the time.[3]

## Funding and construction

[edit]

Construction of Lisner Auditorium was initially funded by Abram Lisner, a German-born owner of Washington's Palais Royale department store.[8] Additional funding for the construction project was provided by the George Washington Memorial Association and the Dimock Estate.

The building was designed by Faulkner & Kingsbury and built by Charles H. Tompkins Company. The groundbreaking ceremony was in 1940; work commenced on the Auditorium in 1941; it opened in 1946.[3]

## Desegregation controversy

[edit]

Lisner Auditorium's opening set the stage for a city-wide effort to desegregate the venue. In early October 1946, a group of white and Black ticket-holders, including the Dean of the Howard University Medical School, tried to attend a ballet performance but were denied entry based on race. Days later, Ingrid Bergman, star of the opening play, Joan of Lorraine, publicly denounced GW's racial exclusion policy and circulated a protest letter signed by the cast. GW students from the American Veterans Committee and the University Veterans Club printed flyers and, with the Southern Conference on Human Welfare, picketed outside.[4] The National Symphony Orchestra canceled performances.[9] In 1947, the Board of Trustees changed the theatre policy to admit African-Americans to sponsored public events, but President Marvin often denied such public uses. As students began to call for the desegregation of the university itself, Marvin publicly defended segregation, and the Trustees did not drop the racial exclusion of African Americans until 1954.[4] In 1971, Lisner Auditorium was the site of a follow-up protest against Marvin's segregationist policies. In March 1970, in the wake of the Kent State shootings, students had dedicated their new student center, opened in 1969, as the Kent State Memorial Student Center. In 1971, the university renamed it the Cloyd Heck Marvin Center, holding the naming ceremony in Lisner Auditorium across the street. Students attended the ceremony en masse, verbally denounced Marvin, and staged a walkout,[10] citing Marvin's racism as a key reason for their actions.[11][12]

## Performances

[edit]

The first known public performance at Lisner without racial restriction was the 1955 National Symphony Orchestra concert. A diverse schedule soon followed through the late 1950s and early 1960s, with opera singers Licia Albenese and Giuseppe Campora, folk singer Pete Seeger, and blues harmonica player Sonny Terry, rock and roll stars Jackie Wilson, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and folk singer Joan Baez.[13] On December 14, 1963, Bob Dylan performed there on his first national tour outside of coffeehouses; the show sold out, and three rows of overflow seating was placed on stage behind the singer.[14] The 1970s brought Rush, Pink Floyd, Kiss, Little Feat, Emmylou Harris, Grand Funk Railroad, Joe Cocker, B.B. King, Derek and the Dominoes, Jimmy Buffett, Billy Joel, Blondie, and the Jerry Garcia Band. In the 1980s, Lisner hosted The Replacements, Alex Chilton, Billy Bragg, Midnight Oil, The Church, 10,000 Maniacs, Michelle Shocked, The BoDeans, Thomas Dolby, A Flock of Seagulls, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.[13]

Stairway of Lisner Auditorium

## Live recordings

[edit]

Several live recordings of shows at Lisner have been produced. Nine of the seventeen tracks on Little Feat's 1978 double LP, Waiting for Columbus, were recorded at Lisner on August 8, 9, and 10, 1977, as were five additional tracks included on the "deluxe" 2002 two-CD re-release, along with three more tracks first issued on the 1981 compilation Hoy-Hoy and also included on the 2002 re-release. Stereo Review's 1978 review praised the album's "spontaneity," declaring that "the performances, like the quality of the recording, are crisp, with precisely the kind of moments live albums should catch and usually don't." It was certified Gold in 1979.[15]

## Art

[edit]

Main article: River Horse (sculpture)

Outside of the Auditorium is the River Horse sculpture. In 1996 George Washington University President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg presented this bronze statue of a hippopotamus as a gift to the university's Class of 2000. The auditorium contains a mural by Augustus Vincent Track, and the Dimock gallery is located on the lower Lisner Lounge.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Lisner Auditorium | GW Events & Venues | the George Washington University".
2. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
3. ^ a b c d "Lisner Auditorium" Registration Form. Washington, D.C.: National Register of Historic Places. 25 October 1990. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
4. ^ a b c Novak, Andrew (2012). "The Desegregation of George Washington University and the District of Columbia in Transition, 1946-1954". Washington History. 24 (1): 22–44\. JSTOR 41510467. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
5. ^ "Lisner Auditorium | GW Events & Venues | the George Washington University".
6. ^ Hattie M. Strong Residence Hall Registration Form. Washington, D.C.: National Register of Historic Places. 12 April 1991. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
7. ^ George Washington/West End Historic District Design Guidelines. Washington, D.C.: DC Historic Preservation. 2018. pp. 9, 16–17. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
8. ^ "Lisner Auditorium". The GW and Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2010-06-13.
9. ^ "Lisner Auditorium segregation controversy, 1946". The GW and Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
10. ^ Polman, Dick (February 18, 1971). "Walkout Mars Ceremony". The Hatchet. 67 (33): 1. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
11. ^ [The Editors] (February 15, 1971). "A Letter to GW's Donors". The Hatchet. 67 (32: Dedication Extra): 1. `{{cite journal}}`: `|last1=` has generic name (help)
12. ^ "Statement of Student Group Oppposed to Center's Renaming". The Hatchet. 67 (32: Dedication Extra): 3. February 15, 1971. Retrieved 28 September 2022.
13. ^ a b "Lisner Auditorium Washington Concert Setlists". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
14. ^ Epstein, Daniel Mark (2011). The Ballad of Bob Dylan: A Portrait (1st ed.). New York: HarperCollins. pp. 3–7, 14–24.
15. ^ "Waiting for Columbus, Little Feat, Warner Bros. 2BS 3140". SuperSeventies.com.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lisner Auditorium.

* Lisner Auditorium official website
* Lisner Auditorium box office
* Lisner Auditorium entry at The George Washington University and Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia
* Roster of Lisner performeances, 1950s to present, at Setlist.fm
* Pink Floyd recorded live at Lisner, November 16th, 1971, audio on Youtube.
* Rush recorded live at Lisner, April 17th, 1977, audio on Youtube.
* Little Feat recorded live at Lisner, August 8th, 1977, audio on Youtube.

* v
* t
* e

George Washington University

Colleges and schools|

* Columbian College of Arts and Sciences
* Corcoran School of the Arts and Design
* Elliott School of International Affairs
* Graduate School of Political Management
* Law School
* School of Business
* School of Engineering and Applied Science
* School of Media and Public Affairs
* Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration

Publications|

* Anthropological Quarterly
* Law Review
* Federal Circuit Bar Journal
* Public Contract Law Journal
* International Law Review
* AIPLA Quarterly Journal
* The Federal Communications Law Journal
* The Washington Quarterly
* Women's Health Issues
* Planet Forward

Centers
and institutes|

* List of centers and research institutes at George Washington University
* National Security Archive
* Textile Museum (Washington, D.C.)
* Institute for International Economic Policy
* Munich Intellectual Property Law Center

Athletics|

| Teams|

* Baseball
* Men's basketball
* Women's basketball
* Football (defunct)
* Men's soccer
* Softball

|

Venues|

* Charles E. Smith Center
* Tucker Field

Related|

* "Hail to the Buff and Blue"

Campuses|

* Campuses
* Foggy Bottom (main campus)
* Virginia Science & Technology Campus
* Mount Vernon Campus

Buildings
and places|

* 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue
* Anniversary Park
* University Art Galleries
* Corcoran Gallery of Art
* Corcoran Hall
* John J. Earley Office and Studio
* Engine Company 23
* F Street House
* Foggy Bottom–GWU station
* Fulbright Hall
* Fairbanks' George Washington
* Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Hall
* Lisner Auditorium
* Madison Hall
* Munson Hall
* President's Office
* Rawlins Park
* Residence halls
* River Horse
* School Without Walls (Washington, D.C.)
* Charles E. Smith Center
* Snows Court (Washington, D.C.)
* Stockton Hall
* Hattie M. Strong Residence Hall
* Oscar W. Underwood House
* Washington Circle
* Margaret Wetzel House
* Maxwell Woodhull House

Student life|

* GW-TV
* Student Association
* The GW Hatchet
* Enosinian Society
* The Taylor Prize in Mathematics
* ΔΦΕ

Libraries|

* Gelman Library
* Jacob Burns Law Library
* Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library

People|

* President of the University Ellen Granberg
* Notable Alumni & Notable Faculty (Law School Alumni · Elliott School Alumni & Faculty · Columbian College Alumni & Faculty · GW Business School Alumni & Faculty)

Medicine
and health|

* Medical Faculty Associates
* George Washington University Hospital
* School of Medicine and Health Sciences
* School of Nursing
* Milken Institute School of Public Health
* Dr. Cyrus and Myrtle Katzen Cancer Research Center

See also|

* Benjamin Franklin University
* Mount Vernon College for Women
* National University School of Law

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Music venues of Washington, D.C.

Outdoors|

* Carter Barron Amphitheatre
* Fort Reno Park
* National Sylvan Theater
* Nationals Park

Theaters / clubs|

* 9:30 Club
* The Anthem
* The Atlantis
* Atlas Performing Arts Center
* Black Cat
* BloomBars
* Blues Alley
* Comet Ping Pong
* DAR Constitution Hall
* DC9 Nightclub
* Echostage
* Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theatre
* Howard Theatre
* John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
* Lincoln Theatre
* Lisner Auditorium
* Madam's Organ Blues Bar
* National Theatre
* Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
* Union Stage
* Warner Theatre

Arenas / indoors|

* Bender Arena
* Capital One Arena
* CareFirst Arena
* Charles E. Smith Center
* D.C. Armory
* New Commanders Stadium (proposed)

Historic venues|

* The Bayou
* Bohemian Caverns
* The Cellar Door
* Krazy Kat Klub
* Republic Gardens
* Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium
* Washington Coliseum

Authority control databases: Geographic |

* MusicBrainz place

|

*[No.]: number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template