Riordan Speaks to BDN About Importance of Downtown Theaters
Liam Riordan, a University of Maine history professor and director of the University of Maine Humanities Center, was quoted in a Bangor Daily News article about the Colonial Theatre in Belfast being put on the market. Riordan told the BDN downtown theaters such as the Colonial matter a lot to the cultural lives of Maine communities. “I do think theaters have played an extraordinary role as a hub of local culture,” Riordan said, mentioning the Criterion in Bar Harbor, the Grand in Ellsworth, the Alamo in Bucksport and the Strand in Rockland as some other examples of early 20th century downtown theaters that remain relevant along the coast. “Now all are multifunctional spaces and performance hubs,” he said. “We do need these kinds of gathering spaces. They can include music and dance and lectures.”