The Performing Arts Center in Los Alamos, one of the few remaining World War II-era buildings there, was originally built as the East Cafeteria to serve military personnel during the Manhattan Project. Isolated atop the mesa amid fences, secrecy, and wartime restrictions, the Los Alamos community often struggled to find entertainment. In 1943, the Los Alamos Little Theatre group formed to stave off boredom, and its first production, "Arsenic and Old Lace," featured Laboratory Director Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer as one of the corpses. In 1971, the troupe secured permanent headquarters in the wartime cafeteria, and Los Alamos County now owns and maintains the building, where the Los Alamos Little Theatre legacy continues after more than 75 years of performances.

Photo: James Hulse

Los Alamos, New Mexico · USA