November 9, 2023 – Lincoln, NE — Eastmont celebrated a historic evening with the opening of their remarkable performing arts center, part of their recently expanded campus. The event marked the culmination of an intricate master planning and visioning process that took root in 2017. Amid an intergenerational audience of Eastmont residents and local Lincoln theatergoers, The Angels Theater Company took to the stage with a performance from their Salon Reading Series called Eminent Domain. The stage was illuminated with local photography from surrounding fields utilizing a high-tech LED audiovisual system that creates digital set displays, among other features. The custom-built system was made possible by a generous donation from the Lincoln Woman’s Club. The new 175-seat theater is just one of many notable amenities included in Eastmont’s campus expansion.
Originally founded in 1965, Eastmont has been serving older adults in Lincoln for over 50 years. After affiliating with Transforming Age in 2017, Eastmont launched into a strategic planning process to innovate and respond to the changing needs of the next generation of older adults. While strategic planning moved forward with developments to add 50 new apartment homes and modern campus amenities, the vision evolved beyond designing spaces for residents and families, to building a venue that could bring together the entire Lincoln community with arts and education, breaking down traditional perceptions where retirement communities are thought to cater to one generation.
“Our performing arts center is truly a partnership with the Lincoln community that enhances the lives of our residents and creates an intergenerational space for everyone,” says Eastmont’s Executive Director, Andrew Fisher. “We are so grateful for the generosity of the Lincoln Women’s Club and to our corporate and foundation sponsors of theater, music and life-long learning programming. It’s great to see the audience filled with so many generations, from college students to older adults, all here together enjoying the show.”
Eastmont is committed to continuing education for older adults and is pursuing opportunities to host a variety of classes. Eastmont’s new performing arts center has unlocked opportunities for creative collaborations between local arts organizations and lifelong learning connections. BLIXT, a nonprofit theater troupe is joining the lineup with their production of Not Too Far Distant by Becky Boesen and an acting workshop immediately following the performance. Angels Theater Company will continue their series by offering monthly performances that are open to the public.
While the performing arts center was designed to be shared with the greater Lincoln community, residents of Eastmont are also enjoying the community’s private upgrades including a pool and hot tub, fitness center, a bistro, outdoor gathering spaces with fire pit, porte-cochere and a new entrance. The residents of the new expansion waited nearly 4 years to move-in to their new apartment homes and many have noted it was worth the wait. “All in we could not have made a better decision than to make Eastmont our home,” says resident Kathy Owen.
“We understand that building community is so much more than expanding our campus,” says Fisher, “Throughout our 50-year history, we have been committed to the good of not only our Eastmont community, but to Lincoln and beyond.”