To spot Shea’s 710 Theatre, look for the tan-and-brown building with a row of tall arched windows and a big circular sign over the doors that boldly says “710 Main Theatre”-just look for the happy lady tipping her hat on the mural next door and you’ll know you’re in the right place!
Let’s step up to the curb and imagine Buffalo in the roaring 1920s, a time when jazz was playing, big hats were all the rage, and dreams of the stage were even bigger. It was here that a group of spirited locals-imagine them in classic flapper dresses and dapper suits-came together to create the Studio Arena Theatre, which was more than just a building…it was a spark! Way before there were smartphone selfies outside, Jane Keeler, a powerhouse drama teacher, and Lars Potter, president of the Buffalo Players, teamed up to turn their love for the arts into a new kind of community for the city. They began in a humble lodge meeting hall, squeezed up on the second floor, where actors and students would climb stairs dreaming of bright lights and applause.
By 1934, the theater was on the move-literally! It packed up from Elmwood Avenue and Anderson Place to a concert hall above the Teck Theatre. Every move brought with it more energy, more buzz, and yes, more people brushing dust off their jackets before taking the stage. The Studio Theatre became a real force in Western New York, the only place in the whole area to bring professional drama, laughter, and tons of creativity to anyone in earshot.
Fast-forward to the wild sixties, which brought a big change. Suddenly Buffalo had something rare: a resident professional theater, right here at what became 710 Main Street, when they moved into the former Palace Burlesque Theater. Imagine the curtain going up for the very first time in that transformed old nightclub! From then on, Shea’s 710 Theatre wasn’t just a venue-it was the beating heart of the city’s theater scene, hosting not-for-profit professional productions, world premieres, and legends-to-be. You know, the kind of place where you might have bumped into Glenn Close, Kathy Bates, or even a young Christopher Walken nervously pacing around backstage. One night, John Goodman could be a baseball hero; the next, Julianne Moore might be fighting tears in a moving drama.
The theater has had its fair share of drama offstage, too. In 2008, the spotlight almost went out permanently when $3 million in debt forced the doors closed and the lights dimmed for what many feared would be the last time. But every good story has a comeback, right? Thanks to Shea's Performing Arts Center, the theater was revived as the 710 Main Theatre in 2012, ready for a new generation. They polished up those arched windows, laughed in the face of doom, and brought live theater-and applause-back to Main Street.
Now, with artists from Broadway to Buffalo and nearly 500 local pros and students gracing its stage, this is no ordinary building. Behind that big round sign and those glassy arches, you’re standing in the shadows of some of the greatest performances the city has ever seen-and maybe, just maybe, catching a whiff of fresh paint, popcorn, and a little bit of showbiz magic. So take a bow yourself, you’ve found one of Buffalo’s most legendary landmarks!
