Painting Her Own Audience

I originally considered spinning a fictional yarn about the mural I chose for the cover of this piece. There's certainly more than enough going on in the painting to spark any number of creative fires. Heck, it's even got a cat (two of them in the full mural)! After a bit more thought, I realized the true backstory behind the artwork is inspiring and heartwarming enough to stand on its own.

In fact, the story of this painting and its home is a only a small part of the story of a remarkable woman who understood what it meant to stand on her own. Marta Becket was a phenomenal creative who brought a dream to life in one of the most unlikely places and lived that dream for the remainder of her time. I've been fortunate enough to see some of her incredible creations and hear her story in the place where she built that dream.

In 2014, my wife, Pam and I drove from Eureka, California to Las Vegas, Nevada to attend her daughter's wedding. We had friends living in the small town of Pahrump, roughly 70 miles away, who offered to let us stay with them. The day after a refreshingly low-key and non-extravagant wedding and reception, we went touring with our friends and one of the first stops was Death Valley Junction, just across the California border.

Marta and her husband stopped at the service station in this little burg to repair a flat tire in 1967. She was already an accomplished ballet dancer, singer and painter. They were making their way across the country from their home in New York City, on a performance tour. While she waited, Marta crossed the street to explore some abandoned buildings. Peeking through a hole in the back door of the largest adobe structure, she discovered an old social hall with a dilapidated stage. She would later say the building had spoken to her.

She quickly found the property manager for the old company housing complex and rented the building for $45 per month. A contract was prepared that stipulated repairs to the property would be her responsibility. With $1 down and her signature as bond on the property, she and her husband left immediately for NYC. They returned approximately 4 months later, in August of 1967 to start their new life in the Arizona desert.

On February 10th of 1968, Marta performed for the first time on her own renovated stage in what is now Amargosa Opera House. It was named, along with the valley it sits in, for a small, flowering herb that grows in the region. She danced, sang and performed pantomime for an audience of 12 people.

Another interesting fact about this region is that it's prone to flash flooding, particularly from torrential rains in the surrounding desert. Later in the year, a flood would result in a total of 16 inches of muddy water standing in the building. While dealing with the aftermath, the stains on the white walls would provide the inspiration for the murals I've provided a few photos of in this article. Marta would spend 6 years painting herself an audience, performers and statuary in false alcoves on the walls, and on the ceiling, ladies with instruments, cherubs and faces representing the four winds.

She also created all of her own props and everything required for her performances, including sewing the stage curtains and her costumes. She was the epitome of “a one-woman show.”

She continued to perform, and completed the murals in between performances. She describes the time spent painting them as the happiest time of her life. At the age of 80, she danced for the last time, but continued to sing and entertain her audiences 3 nights per week until her final performance in front of a standing-room-only crowd in March of 2012. She was 87 years old.

After her retirement, Marta created a non-profit organization and the theater became a museum. Thanks to that, I was able to visit this remarkable place and see the incredible works first-hand. I asked our guide prior to the tour whether flash photography was permitted and she assured me that it was. I only regret that I didn't have a wide-angle lens with me during the tour.

These photos were taken during the first week of June, 2014. Exactly two months later, a breached levee would cause the theater to be flooded again. I remember how shocked and sad I was to read the story, which you can also read, here: https://pvtimes.com/news/historical-amargosa-opera-house-damaged-by-flash-flood/

I was torn between feeling glad that I'd had the opportunity and wishing I had been there later, to document the damage and the repairs. We might have even had the privilege of meeting Marta, since she came to help fix the damage. The latter wouldn't have been a possibility, due to my work load, and I'm happy to have the photos I do – along with many others at nearby sites I'll write about later.

Marta would pass away quietly in 2017, still in the little desert town that she loved at first sight. The Opera House would live on, as would Marta's legacy. In February of this year, a celebration was held in honor of the 55th anniversary of Amargosa Opera House. Ironically, only months before, the nonprofit status of the site was formally challenged because of documentation that hadn't been properly filed years ago.

Fortunately, the anniversary celebration also honored a new partnership with a dance studio and 2 monetary grants for the museum, part of which will provide scholarships for dance students in need at the studio. The theater, now a registered Historical Site, will again be filled with music and dance as students take the stage.

I hope you've enjoyed this glance into the life of a phenomenal woman, and my photos of her work, neither of which do justice to her spirit. I encourage you to take a look at the official website, here: http://www.amargosaoperahouse.org/

In closing, let me explain why I've referred to a Dust Devil in the subtitle of this piece. Actually, I'll let Marta explain, with her own voice, in this hauntingly beautiful video produced by Poppy Walker. I assure you, it's worth 9 minutes of your attention.

NOTE: All photographs within this document and the textual content are the property of and the author and protected by copyright. No copyright is claimed or assumed for the video above, which is the sole property of Poppy Walker.

Thanks for reading!