One of the many iconic theaters on Theater Row in Downtown Boston, the Shubert Theater packs a punch for one of its size. Designed in 1908 and originally named the Lyric Theatre, the theatre was built for live performances. The theatre was named in 1910 after Sam S. Shubert, known as the founder of the independent theatre movement. Shubert was the oldest of three brothers and the first to become involved in theatre management in the 1880’s. At the age of just 26, Sam Shubert died due to a train wreck in 1905, and his brothers Lee and Jacob went on to continue their brother’s empire, which included theatres in Boston, New York and Chicago, which operates after their deaths as the Shubert Organization. In February 1996, the Wang Center signed a 40-year lease agreement to operate the theatre with the Shubert Organization, which continues to own the building and property; the theatre reopened after renovation in November 1996. The Boch family became the namesake of the center in 2016, making the full name of the theatre the Shubert Theatre at the Boch Center.