Marta Becket (August 9, 1924 – January 30, 2017) was an American dancer, choreographer and painter best known for creating, restoring and performing at the Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley Junction. She was born in New York City and pursued a professional life that combined stage performance with visual art.
Early in her career Becket trained and worked as a stage performer and choreographer, appearing in a variety of theatrical and nightclub venues. Over time she supplemented her dance and choreography with painting and scenic design, developing the visual skills she later used to transform a vacant theater into a distinctive performance space.
After discovering a derelict theater in the small community of Death Valley Junction, Becket undertook a long renovation and made the building her creative home. She painted expansive murals on the interior walls that suggested an audience and extended the theatrical setting beyond the stage. For more than four decades she presented self-staged shows there, often alone onstage, turning the venue into both a performance house and a living artwork.
Characteristics of the Amargosa Opera House
- Hand-painted murals that cover interior walls and create an illusion of a full house.
- Intimate stage presentations combining dance, mime, movement and theatrical narration.
- An enduring, artist-run operation anchored by one performer’s sustained commitment.
Becket's singular approach attracted tourists, preservationists and filmmakers. The documentary Amargosa chronicled her life and the theater, receiving festival honors and a 2003 Emmy Award for cinematographer Curt Apduhan. Becket continued to mount performances into the early 21st century and officially retired in 2012, by which time the Amargosa Opera House had become a widely recognized cultural curiosity in a remote region.
Marta Becket died on January 30, 2017 at her home in Death Valley Junction from congestive heart failure, aged 92. Her legacy is visible in the preserved theater, in the melding of visual art and live performance she championed, and in the example she set of how a single devoted artist can revive a place and inspire visitors from around the world.