Architect and Cultural Advocate Yina Moore Challenges Entrenched Model of Theater Development with Adams Theater

Theaters, as well as other facilities for the arts, are often thought of as too “highbrow” for the average American, placing them under a domain exclusively for the moneyed class. However, these structures play a key role in the community, serving as places where residents can gather as well as strengthening the culture by providing learning opportunities for everyone.  

According to artist, architect, and cultural advocate Yina Luo Moore, the traditional model of building or restoring a theater is where a wealthy group of donors behind the leadership team become patrons for the project. The patrons hire an architect and solicit the best design. Once the design has been finalized, the patron hires a construction firm to execute the project build-out and is unveiled to the public.  

Moore is leading a project that seeks to challenge that paradigm, with the restoration of the historic Adams Theater in the town of Adams in Berkshire County, Massachusetts. The theater was built in 1937 and served as a cultural hub for the town, connecting generations of local residents until it was closed down in 1967. The 12,443-square-foot theater complex was unused since then, except for a brief period from 2004 to 2010, before it was purchased in 2021 by Adams Theater LLC, a company founded by Moore. 

Moore and her team are using a design-build model, which is more commonly used in residential or small commercial construction, to restore the Adams Theater in phases. This approach keeps costs more affordable and involves and integrates the theater into the community. As the theater is an indispensable part of the town’s history, the team consults the community before making any major changes to the complex. A large majority of community stakeholders were supportive of the project, and the team worked hard to address the concerns of those who voiced reservations or objections. 

Regarding the importance of the theater to the community, Moore says: “I'm a big believer that architecture should be a human-centric field. The users of the building are what defines it. Even if the original function evolves, it will be the continued activities and users in the space that will take it to the next level.” 

In 2023, the Adams Theater held its first season since reopening its doors, and intense preparation is underway for the 2024 season. According to Moore, restoration work on the theater is 75% finished, costing around $1.5 million so far. She estimates that roughly 1 million dollars more is needed to complete the theater building. This cost is much lower than a comparable project undertaken the traditional way.  

Holding a master's degree in architecture from Harvard University, Moore is spearheading a creative redesign of the theater’s facilities to serve the community better. The stage, currently measuring 16 by 60 feet, is modular and expandable. It can be extended halfway down the theater’s length, turning it into an immersive black box theater. The flexible seating layout is designed to optimize various stage and performance configurations. The rest of the theater complex is also being redesigned, with the storefront space being able to accommodate an expansion of the cafe, allowing more people to use it during non-show days. The waiting area is also configured to allow smaller groups from the community to use it for gatherings such as poetry readings, jam sessions, and meetings. 

For the 2024 season, the Adams Theater will be hosting three main types of performances. The first one is Adams Theater Presents, which involves a lineup of artists, from local musicians and dancers to international talents, curated by Moore and her team. Some upcoming performances include a concert by bluegrass musician Willi Carlisle on May 24th, The Man Who Thought He Knew Too Much; a multi-award-winning international physical theater work by Voloz Theater on the 17th and 18th of August, and Stephanie Chou’s chamber opera “Comfort Girl” on September 14th. 

The second type is the Adams Incubator, where the theater invites artists from the Berkshires and beyond to use its physical space to develop bold, original works that foster cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary collaborations. 2024 residents are Fern Katz and Ricardo Paz, Life Jacket Theatre, and Baye and Asa. 

The Adams Theater also hosts community events organized by local entities such as high schools, community organizations, and more. These include year-end student performances, a Pride pageant, and movie nights. 

“Everything we've been doing in the first two or three years since reestablishment of the theater is reflective of our long-term vision,” Moore says. “We aim to bring people from all walks of life into the space, and, because the theater can mean different things to different people, they may gravitate towards one certain type of program versus another. We do not want people to feel excluded, and we seek to bring down barriers between different parts of the community.”  

“From an architectural perspective, I seek to apply what I learned, that physical space is a repository of memories of human interactions, that is important in this increasingly digital world” she adds. “When you develop great community interactions within a physical space, then it becomes a representation of the good experiences people have in it. And that will help people develop their own passion and their care for the space. I know I'm not going to be in charge of the theater forever, which is why I want it to become a vital part of the community and it remains well taken care of down the road.”