The Historic Fargo Theatre: A Symbol of Collective Memory and Community Consciousness

Abstract

The Fargo Theatre has been the gem of the Fargo, North Dakota, area for eightytwo years and is at the epicenter of the community's collective history. The theatre has hosted independent films, musical productions, vaudeville, social and political meetings, festivals, celebrations, and most importantly, memories of the people of this community, past and present. It is a physical structure that has evolved into a symbol with diverse meanings for all who know of its existence. Individual experiences and the symbolic meanings that make up the collective consciousness of the theatre, and therefore the community, are the focus of this study. By representing diverse threads of collective memory far beyond those of mere entertainment, the Fargo Theatre is a significant and enduring symbol of Fargo's collective memory and community consciousness. Relying heavily on the theoretical work of the symbolic anthropologist Victor Turner, this study encapsulates a community spirit by exploring the life of the theatre through the memory culture of theatre patrons, theatre employees, and citizens of the Red River Valley. The accumulation of symbols and stories about the Fargo Theatre provides insight into the memory culture of our region, as well as focused insight into the Fargo community itself. The theatre is a vital part of the community consciousness via other realms of experience that are not necessarily divorced from the entertainment and pleasure aspects of the theatre. Exploring these various realms reveals unexpected symbolic richness.