Forest Forward: A bright future for a ‘Sunny South Dallas’ theater

(The Dallas Examiner) – A major revitalization project is officially underway at the historic Forest Theater. Located in “Sunny South Dallas,” the theater’s history spans 75 years. It is known as a “sister” to the Majestic, Lakewood and Inwood theaters of Dallas, which were all built around the same time. However, Forest is the only one of the four which, soon after construction, had to compete with a major highway that was suddenly built to divide its surrounding neighborhood. The result of this new highway, known as U.S. 175, drastically changed the South Dallas area from predominantly Jewish to predominantly Black. Related Stories Since the residential and economic makeup of the area changed, the theater began to cater more toward its Black neighbors. It was then that Forest Theater became a beacon – a place of pride. It became a place for people to gather to watch movies, shows, attend Girl Scout meetings and hold voter registration drives among other things. The goal now is to bring that same beacon back to the South Dallas community. On April 4, the media was invited to attend a private discussion with Elizabeth Wattley, president and CEO of Forest Theater. The event was...