Walk through the streets of Casco Antiguo in Panama City and you will eventually come across a building that looks as though it belongs to another era. Surrounded by plazas, churches, colonial buildings, restaurants and balconies, the Teatro Nacional de Panamá sits quietly in San Felipe, but inside is one of the country's most spectacular artistic spaces.
The National Theatre is much more than somewhere to watch a performance. It is a piece of Panama's early national history, an extraordinary example of theatrical architecture, a gallery for some of the country's most important artwork and a building that has repeatedly had to fight its way back from deterioration. It opened in 1908, only a few years after Panama became an independent republic, making the theatre almost as old as the modern country itself.
A theatre built for a new country
The story of the National Theatre begins in the early years of the Republic of Panama.
Panama separated from Colombia in 1903, and the new country wanted more than government institutions and infrastructure. It also wanted symbols of national identity and cultural sophistication. In 1904, legislation provided for the construction of both the National Theatre and the National Palace. The theatre was designed by Italian architect Genaro Ruggieri, with Florencio Harmodio Arosemena serving as engineer and Ramón Arias F. and José Gabriel Duque involved as contractors. Construction began in 1905 and was completed in 1908.
The location itself has an even older story.
The theatre occupies part of the site associated with the former Convent of the Concepción, a religious complex dating to the colonial period. After the religious order was expelled in the nineteenth century, the complex was eventually used as a military barracks before the old structures were demolished in the early twentieth century. The theatre and National Palace were then constructed on the site.
So when you stand inside the National Theatre, you aren't standing on a piece of land with just one history.
You are standing on top of layers of Panama's history stretching from the colonial period through the formation of the modern republic.
The opening was a presidential event
The official inauguration took place on October 1, 1908, and there is an interesting detail that many visitors don't realize.
The theatre didn't open with an opera performance.
Its official inauguration coincided with the inauguration of José Domingo de Obaldía as the second president of the Republic of Panama. The artistic opening came later that month, on October 22, with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi's famous opera Aida by an Italian opera company.
Imagine Panama City in 1908.
The country was only five years old. The Panama Canal was still under construction. Automobiles were still a novelty. Aviation was in its infancy. And in the middle of the new republic, Panama was opening an elaborate European style theatre.
It was a statement.
Panama was announcing that its new national identity was not going to be defined only by the canal, commerce and politics. Art and culture were going to be part of the country's future as well.
The architecture is part of the spectacle
The building is associated with the neoclassical and European theatrical traditions of the period, while the Ministry of Culture also describes it as Neo Renaissance. Its design reflects the grand tradition of European opera houses, adapted to Panama's own setting.
The exterior already gives you clues about what is inside.
The façade features symmetrical architectural elements, arches, decorative details and sculptures representing the muses associated with literature and music. Historic descriptions also identify reliefs honouring famous European literary and musical figures including Wagner, Shakespeare, Molière, Rossini, Cervantes and Lope de Vega.
But the real surprise comes when you walk through the entrance.
The exterior is elegant.
The interior is theatrical.
Roberto Lewis transformed the inside
One of the most important names connected with the theatre is Roberto Lewis, one of Panama's most significant artists of the early twentieth century.
Lewis was commissioned to create paintings for the theatre, including the enormous decorative work on the ceiling of the auditorium and paintings in the foyer and other areas. His work became one of the defining artistic features of the building.
This is one of the reasons the National Theatre is so interesting for visitors who aren't particularly interested in theatre.
You don't have to attend a performance to appreciate the building.
You can treat the interior almost like an art gallery.
Look upward and you find paintings.
Look toward the balconies and you find decorative architectural details.
Look at the walls and ceilings and you begin to understand why preserving the building is such a complicated task.
It isn't simply an old theatre.
It is an enormous collection of interconnected architectural and artistic objects.
The ceiling is one of the great attractions
The ceiling artwork by Roberto Lewis is particularly spectacular.
Imagine sitting below a huge painted ceiling while an ornate chandelier hangs above the auditorium, surrounded by balconies and elaborate decorative details.
It is the sort of interior that makes modern cinemas look extremely practical by comparison.
And that was the point.
A theatre in this period wasn't supposed to be just a room with seats and a stage. Going to the theatre was an experience from the moment you walked through the doors.
You dressed for it.
You socialized.
You watched other people.
You admired the architecture.
And then, finally, you watched the performance.
The building itself was part of the entertainment.
A theatre and a social meeting place
Historic theatres were often as much about social life as they were about art.
People went to see who else was there, to be seen themselves, to meet friends and to participate in the cultural life of the city.
The National Theatre became an important venue for music, theatre, opera and other performances in Panama, eventually becoming one of the country's principal cultural stages.
Over the decades, generations of Panamanians have passed through its doors.
That creates a fascinating connection between the building and the people of Panama.
A person attending a performance today is experiencing a space where countless audiences have sat before them.
But the tropics were not kind to the building
There was a problem with building an elaborate European style theatre in Panama.
Panama is not Italy.
The country's heat, humidity and enormous rainfall create a brutal environment for historic buildings.
The theatre began showing signs of deterioration relatively early in its history. According to Panama's cultural heritage records, deterioration was already evident by the 1920s, and improvements were ordered in 1940.
A technical study of the building's history also noted problems with water infiltration and the challenges created by adapting architectural ideas developed in a very different climate to Panama's tropical conditions.
This is something visitors sometimes don't appreciate when looking at old buildings in Panama.
Tropical humidity is relentless.
Paint deteriorates.
Metal corrodes.
Wood suffers.
Water finds tiny cracks.
Mould becomes a constant enemy.
And decorative artwork can be extraordinarily difficult to preserve.
Maintaining a 1908 theatre in Panama is therefore a completely different challenge from maintaining one in a dry European climate.
The theatre had its difficult periods
Over its long history, the National Theatre went through periods of neglect and deterioration.
By the middle of the twentieth century, it had required multiple interventions. Later restorations included major work in the 1970s, another extensive restoration in 2002 to 2004 and eventually the enormous rehabilitation project that began in the 2010s.
At various points, the building's condition became serious enough to affect its ability to operate normally.
In 2015, the theatre was closed because of structural and infrastructure problems. Contemporary reporting described deteriorated walls and slabs and concerns about the condition of the building.
For a building that had been such an important part of Panama's cultural life for more than a century, its closure was a major event.
The great restoration
The most recent major restoration was extraordinarily ambitious.
Rather than simply repainting the walls and fixing a few leaks, the project involved structural rehabilitation, restoration of the historic artwork, improvements to theatrical technology and upgrades to the building's infrastructure.
One of the biggest challenges was essentially this:
How do you modernize a 1908 theatre without turning it into a modern building that happens to look old?
That is a surprisingly difficult question.
A modern theatre needs lighting, sound, electrical systems, stage equipment, safety systems and other technology that didn't exist when the building opened.
At the same time, replacing everything with modern materials could destroy the very character that makes the theatre historically important.
The restoration therefore had to balance the past and the present.
Modern technology hiding inside an old building
The renovated theatre received modern technical systems while retaining important historic architectural and artistic features.
The rehabilitation included improvements to electrical infrastructure, theatrical lighting, audiovisual systems and stage equipment, while also incorporating new acoustic technology. Adjustable acoustic devices allow the auditorium's acoustic environment to be modified for different performances.
That is a fascinating combination.
From the audience, you can experience an ornate theatre created more than a century ago.
Behind the scenes, however, there is technology that belongs firmly in the twenty first century.
The building essentially has two personalities.
1908 on the outside. Modern theatre technology underneath.
The artwork had to be treated almost like a priceless painting
Restoring Roberto Lewis's murals and decorative paintings was another enormous undertaking.
The restoration of the twentieth century frescoes was directed by artist Ángela Camargo, with specialists working carefully to preserve the historic artwork rather than simply repainting it. Panama's Ministry of Culture has described the paintings as among the country's most valuable artistic collections.
That distinction is important.
Restoration isn't the same thing as decoration.
If you repaint an old artwork according to what you think it should look like, you may actually destroy historical information.
Restorers therefore have to study the original materials, colours, layers and deterioration before deciding what can be cleaned, repaired or reconstructed.
It is almost like archaeology performed on a wall.
The theatre eventually reopened
After years of closure and restoration, the National Theatre reopened on October 1, 2019.
There is something beautifully symbolic about that date.
It reopened exactly 111 years after its original inauguration on October 1, 1908. The reopening featured the Ballet Nacional de Panamá.
The building had essentially completed a 111 year journey and then started another chapter.
It wasn't being preserved as a dead museum piece.
It was being restored so that it could continue functioning as a theatre.
That distinction matters enormously.
It is part of Casco Antiguo's bigger story
The National Theatre makes even more sense when you explore it as part of Casco Antiguo.
Walk outside and you are immediately surrounded by other layers of Panama's history. Colonial churches, old plazas, restored buildings, narrow streets, modern restaurants and lively nightlife all exist within the same compact neighbourhood.
The theatre sits near Plaza Bolívar and the Church of San Francisco, making it easy to combine with a walking tour of the historic district.
This is one reason the building is worth seeking out even if you aren't attending a performance.
You can explore the historic streets first, have a coffee or meal nearby, visit the churches and plazas and then discover the theatre as another chapter in the story of Panama City.
A symbol of Panama's cultural ambitions
Perhaps the most fascinating thing about the National Theatre is what it represents.
The building was commissioned when Panama was a brand new republic.
The country was attempting to establish itself politically, economically and culturally.
More than a century later, the theatre is still standing.
It has survived changing governments, changing artistic tastes, periods of deterioration, multiple restorations, technological revolutions and the relentless Panamanian climate.
And it is still being used for what it was designed to do.
People still sit in the auditorium.
Artists still perform.
Music still fills the room.
Audiences still look upward at Roberto Lewis's paintings.
That makes the National Theatre different from many historic monuments.
It isn't simply something Panama used to have.
It remains part of Panama's cultural life.
One of the most beautiful old buildings in Panama City
For travellers exploring Panama City, the National Theatre is one of those places that can easily be overlooked because Casco Antiguo is filled with spectacular buildings.
But once you understand what is inside, the theatre becomes much more interesting.
It combines Panama's colonial history, the birth of the republic, European architectural influence, Panamanian art, opera, theatre, music, politics and more than a century of cultural life.
And then there is the extraordinary contrast between the old and new.
Outside, you have the historic streets of Casco Antiguo.
Inside, you have a 1908 auditorium decorated with paintings and architectural details created for another era.
Behind those historic surfaces is modern theatrical technology.
And surrounding everything is a tropical city that has changed almost beyond recognition since the theatre first opened.
That is the magic of the Teatro Nacional de Panamá.
It isn't just a beautiful old building.
It is a place where several different Panamas meet: the colonial Panama, the newly independent Panama of 1908, the artistic Panama represented by Roberto Lewis, and the modern Panama City of today.