CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Restoration work is officially underway inside the historic Ritz Theatre in downtown Corpus Christi, Texas.
For the first time in decades, skilled artisans are restoring portions of the theater by hand. This week, EverGreene Architectural Arts began carefully rehabilitating a floor-to-ceiling section of the 1929 theater on North Chaparral as part of a larger restoration effort.
The work includes decorative painting, plaster repair, and preservation techniques that will help guide the rehabilitation of the entire theater.
"We did the microscopic analysis to find that, where we could say from here, there are some white spots in there. That's when we drill into the surface and pull out and then put it under the, you know, so we could see the layers," Marlene Sophia said.
The current work will take about 3 weeks to complete and will serve as a guide for the rest of the building's rehabilitation.
The Ritz Theatre has a storied history in South Texas. When it opened in 1929, it was the first talking movie theater and vaudeville house in the region, introducing sound films and live performances — and air conditioning — to local audiences.
During the Great Depression, the theater offered an escapist luxury experience for locals. In the World War II era, big-name bands performed there for military personnel stationed in Corpus Christi and the surrounding community.
The Ritz operated primarily as a first-run movie theater for decades. Over time, adaptations were made to the building, including the removal of some ornate proscenium elements to accommodate larger screens. Films continued until the last regular scheduling in 1972. The theater closed in 1989, and efforts to restore and reopen it have been ongoing since then.
