OPINION: An Ode to the Kenworthy Theater

In the fall of 2018, I transferred to the University of Idaho and went to my Moscow apartment for the first time. I had never been to Moscow and didn’t have many friends at first.   

I spent the first two weeks of school adjusting to a new life. It wasn’t until my third week that a car accident greatly changed my perspective on the meaning of friendship. I lost a dear friend in the process, and upon returning to campus the few acquaintances that I’d made were waiting for me.  

Fast forward to Halloween, a night full of college debauchery that I soon won’t forget. The campus bustled with students all decked out in their costumes, friends posing for pictures and professors passing out candy in class.   

Halloween has always been one of those weird in-between holidays for me because every year till high school I went trick-or-treating, there was a plan. But now I had to actually make that plan.   

The tradition has changed in many ways. Being in college away from my family means that I can’t take my little sister trick-or-treating (it would mostly be for me anyway).  

So for that year, a group of friends suggested that we attend the Rocky Horror Picture Show performance at the Kenworthy Theater. I had never been before, nor did I know about the historical significance of the theater itself. My friends and I got all dressed up, I wore my usual hippie outfit and out we went.   

Entering the Kenworthy for the first time, and on Halloween nonetheless, felt like that scene from Halloween Town where Marnie goes to the theater to find her kidnapped grandmother.   

The old seats, the stage, the food counter with all the historic frames behind it spoke to me. The stained glass signs imprinted on the floor near the stage casting an ominous glow. The night was a blast and from it, I gained a new sense of community.  

The Kenworthy was family-owned until 2002 and now resides on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s one of 11 theaters in Idaho that’s still open alongside the Egyptian in Boise and Gorby Opera Theater in Glenns Ferry.   

While much of the theater has been remodeled, once it reopened I still felt that sense of community and antiquity like before. Which is why the fact that the theater has remained closed to the general public makes it that much harder.   

They are still hosting private events but like all businesses, I’m sure they’ve suffered revenue losses. As one of the oldest businesses in Moscow, the Kenworthy is so much more than a commodity.  

It’s a place of unity, a space for all to come and experience something almost other-worldly. It was a space for me when I needed it most, and I hope that it’s one for people for a long time to come. If you can, please consider donating to them here.  

DeVonte Smith can be reached at [email protected].