Marta Becket (August 9, 1924 – January 30, 2017) was an American dancer, choreographer, and painter, best known for her restoration and decades-long residency at the Amargosa Opera House in Death Valley Junction, California.
Born Martha Edith Beckett in New York City, she began her professional career in the 1940s. She performed at Radio City Music Hall and appeared in Broadway productions, including Show Boat, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Wonderful Town. In 1967, while traveling through the Mojave Desert, Becket discovered an abandoned recreation hall that had originally been built by the Pacific Coast Borax Company. She leased the building and renamed it the Amargosa Opera House, dedicating herself to performing solo dance and pantomime shows.
During the early years of her residency, when live audiences were often sparse, Becket spent six years painting detailed murals on the interior walls of the theater. These murals depicted a 16th-century Spanish court audience, including royalty, clergy, and commoners, effectively creating a permanent, painted audience for her performances. She later spent several years painting the ceiling with figures of cherubs and classical musicians.
Becket's commitment to her art and the preservation of the historic site gained international attention. She continued to perform regularly at the opera house into her eighties. Her life and work were the subject of the 2000 documentary film Amargosa, directed by Todd Robinson, which received critical acclaim and several awards. Becket died at her home in Death Valley Junction on January 30, 2017, at the age of 92.