Forsyth Theatre

The Forsyth Theater open April 11, 1910 and was designed by Ten Ecyk Brown, The theater building was built by Asa Chandler Inc. as a Vaudeville House and was the home of Keith’s Vaudeville. The theater seated 1200. From 1910 to 1917 the theater was strictly as Vaudeville house. However is October of 1917 Manager Jake Wells started showing movies which brought on a law suit from Asa Candler, Inc. that maintained that films did not consitute high class entertainment. Mr Wells won the suit and the Forsyth included films in there presentations. During the period of 1917 to 1924 the Forsyth was one of Atlanta’s leading theaters, However when the much larger Georgia Theater open and Keith’s Vaudeville moved up Peachtree the Forsyth became a second run house. During the 20’s theater groups used the theater to present plays, by 1929 the theater portion of the building was gutted and turned into a parking garage (Ten Eyck Brown doing the remodeling) The Forsyth building was torn down in the 1970’s and remains a parking lot
For a more indepth story oon the Forsyth Theater go to the Atlanta Chapter ATOS and in the newsletters go to archived newsletter to July 2006