Theaters

The year 2021 saw the opening of not one, not two, but THREE new theaters in Laconia! First, there was the restored Colonial Theatre. Second, there was the restored Lakeport Opera House (click on the link for the history of the Lakeport Opera House and Lakeport Square.) Finally, there was the brand new CAKE theatre, the home venue of Recycled Percussion. CAKE stands for the Chaos And Kindness Experience.

Dramatic Arts in the Weirs Beach area

Nearby to Weirs Beach, in Meredith, is the Winnipesaukee Playhouse (603) 279-0333. The playhouse is a year-round, family-run theater dedicated to bringing quality arts and entertainment to the Lakes Region. They aim to provide a fun and challenging theatrical environment for all Lakes Region locals and visitors in both performance-based and educational arenas. Whether your interest is to be onstage, behind-the-scenes, or in the audience, The Winnipesaukee Playhouse has something for you! The Winnipesaukee Playhouse began operations in 2004 at the Alpenrose Plaza in Weirs Beach with an 84-seat facility, then moved to Meredith in 2013 to its current, 195-seat theater.

The Interlakes Theatre, also based in Meredith, began in 2008, and advertises itself as “Broadway in the Lakes Region”. Shows take place at the 428-seat Inter-Lakes Community Auditorium. This year’s (2023), 15th anniversary program includes 4 big musicals.

The Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative is a community theatre company based in Laconia which stages dramatic productions at the Colonial Theatre and the Belknap Mill.

Another community theatre company based in Laconia is the One Light Theatre Company. It produces full-scale productions and educational shows at various venues. Since its establishment in 2016, the Company has produced 25 shows. Click on the link for this season’s schedule.

One of the last drive-in movie theaters in the country was located right across the street from the Weirs Beach sign. The Weirs Beach Drive-In Theater (603) 366-4723, had four screens, each showing a double feature, with the first movie starting at dusk. The theater operated until the end of the 2023 season. In 2024, the Drive-In announced that it would not reopen.

When the Drive-In first opened on July 1, 1949, it had capacity for 500 cars on a 15-acre site. The land was graded downward towards the screen, with a front section sporting seats for those who walked in. Parking spaces extended 500′ from the screen tower, which was 50 feet long and 60 feet high. Cars were parked 38 feet apart in lines that gave plenty of clearance for drivers. At each space, an individual receiver placed in the car allowed for volume control. A 12′ by 8′ cement block building was constructed 250′ from the screen and contained the projection room and concessions.

The Colonial Theatre on Main Street in downtown Laconia opened in 1914 with 1200 seats. Live performances were only a memory by the 1960s, when it had become a single-screen movie palace. The webmaster attended many movies here, and fondly recalls the beautiful illumination by glowing purple nightlights. In 1983, the grand interior was subdivided into a 5-screen multiplex cinema. The movie theater closed in 2002. Previous efforts to restore the theater fell short. However, in June 2015, it was announced that the theater would finally be restored to its former glory. The restoration was completed in 2021. Nationally, many Main Streets have been revitalized by the renovation of their old theaters, as a NY Times article points out. The League of Historic American Theaters assists many of these restoration efforts.

There remains a second, smaller theater in downtown Laconia, located right across the street from the Colonial, that has not been restored. It was called the Gardens Theater. Click for photos and info about the Gardens Theater.