The Coliseo Podestá Theatre

It was built in an “art deco” style at the beginning of the 20th century. Its main hall is decorated in French style.You can see plays and comedies here and it is also a historic building to visit. The first theater of “honest fun” of La Plata was the Varietes Theatre, in Tolosa, in 1884. At the same time, other stages were created where companies of puppeteers and narrators made shows in La Plata Theater and Politeama 25 de Mayo Theatre, both of which were also in La Plata. In this last theater the character called “Pepino el 88” accompanied by his donkey “Pancho” made the audience amuse.  José Juan “Pepe” Podestá was the person who gave life to the famous clown that would become the pioneer of the Río de La Plata’s theater. Four years after the foundation of La Plata, in 1886, the first theater whose size was suitable for large lyrical evenings was opened. This theater was called Politeama Olimpo. It is now called Coliseo Podestá. In that first show, the tenor Roberto Stagno interpreted The Barber of Sevilla. The building project was in charge of the Uruguayan architect Carlos Zenhdorf. It was entirely made with Argentinian materials. Its first owners were Vicente Jordán & Co. but in 1887 the circus company Scotti-Podestá bought the property at a public auction. Since then, two stories were intertwined, the one of the building on 10th Street between 47th and 48th and the one of the Podestá family  who, since 1885, installed their circus tent in La Plata. The building had to be modified to work as a circus. The building occupied a quarter of a block and communicated with the café El Olimpo. On the first floor, there was a hotel for artists who came from abroad or from Buenos Aires. Because of its movable floor it could work as a theater or as a circus. Artists and animals entered from the sides of the stage, where the boxes are located nowadays. In 1920, the Politeama Olimpo was renamed "Coliseo Podestá" in honor of Pepe’s father. The Coliseo Podestá has a room with perfect acoustics. Great artists like Margarita Xirgu, Arthur Rubinstein and Lola Membrives have acted in it. In the 1920s, carnival and spring dances were held. Of course, they dismantled the seats and put tables and chairs so a great dance floor was formed. The orchestra was located on the stage or in the moat. After being inactive for some time, it was bought by the La Plata city hall in the year 1981.