Historic Lucas Theatre reopens with Charlie Chaplin film after bat removal

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The historic Lucas Theatre for the Arts will reopen Saturday evening after being temporarily closed due to bats discovered in the building’s rafters.

The theatre will return with a “Wonders of the Wurlitzer” event at 7 p.m. Saturday, January 31. SCAD’s 1920s theater organ will accompany a screening of Charlie Chaplin’s silent film classic “The Kid.”

Tickets are available through the SCAD Box Office at scadboxoffice.com. The Lucas Cafe will reopen Monday.

SCAD temporarily closed the theatre and adjacent cafe after bats were found in the theatre’s rafters. The university engaged a licensed wildlife management company to humanely remove the bats in compliance with state and federal wildlife protection guidelines.

While the bats caused no harm, SCAD took immediate steps to ensure the safety of guests and staff. A film screening of “The Natural” scheduled during the closure was moved to SCAD’s Trustees Theater.

Officials had estimated the process could take up to a week when the closure was first announced.