I loved the story on historic Maine movie houses in the Aug. 7 “Go” section.

Throughout my life in Maine, as a dancer and performance artist, I have had the thrill of performing in many of the historic opera houses and renovated movie theaters. When I lived on Mount Desert Island, in the 1970s, I attended movies at the Criterion Theatre, and later in life I danced on that stage. Add to that list of venues The Grand in Ellsworth and The Waldo in my current hometown.

I have deep ties with the “new vaudeville” artists here in Maine and — ever since Benny and Denise Reehl began to renew the Johnson Hall Opera House in Gardiner in the 1980s — I have been involved in a variety of ways. This past year the decades of renovations and innovations at Johnson Hall Performing Arts Center came to fruition under the leadership of Michael Miclon with so much support from Maine artists and those “from away” and particularly the town of Gardiner.

Coincidentally, I happened to view the silent film “Jean the Match Maker” when it played at the Lincoln Theater a few years ago. That same film recently aired in a silent film fest at Johnson Hall, featuring piano accompaniment! I have to admit, that I was sorely disappointed to see that Johnson Hall did not round out that list from 13 to 14.

Lisa DeAngelis Lane
Waldoboro