Promises that the Historic Elitch Theatre will one day be restored to its previous glory have been whistling in the northwest Denver wind for 37 agonizing years.

But Greg Rowley, the effort’s latest wide-eyed board president, promises — and that is one word no one should ever use when talking about this particular sore subject — “I believe we are closer than we have ever been.”

The once glorious, 133-year-old Elitch Theatre, modeled in 1891 after Shakespeare’s Globe in London, is Denver’s oldest cultural venue. It once anchored the original 32-acre Elitch Gardens and housed the nation’s oldest summer-theater company until going dark in 1987 (save for one centennial blowout musical in ‘91).

It’s now been 30 years even since the amusement park bolted for downtown, leaving behind the ghosts of Sarah Bernhardt, Douglas Fairbanks, Grace Kelly, Vincent Price and so many other stars who once graced that fabled stage.

Since then, I have reported enough unrealized plans for the resurrection of this sacred space to feel somehow complicit in a crime. About 10 years ago, I made a promise to myself to stop teasing readers whose hopes had been raised and dashed over decades with the regularity of high tide.

The theater has hosted a variety of special events over the years, including concerts and play readings. But it is still not ready to host full runs of live theater productions — at least not anywhere close to its former standards. There is no permanent lighting equipment in place. There is no heating or air conditioning. The closed balcony has not been touched. It will take another $3 million, Rowley figures, to get there.

And yet, the Historic Elitch Theatre will stage two bona fide theater productions this year — for two nights, anyway.

Its “Elitch Encore” series of “The Bonfils Girl” and “The Secret Garden” will constitute the first full, live ticketed theater performances with (some) production values on the Elitch Theatre stage since 1991.

“The Bonfils Girl” is Mike Broemmel’s one-woman play on the life of former Denver Post publisher Helen Bonfils, whose money was used to build the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. She was also affiliated with the Elitch Theatre for decades as an actor, producer and benefactor. “The Bonfils Girl” will be presented Aug. 17 — 90 years after Bonfils debuted as an actor on the Elitch stage.

“We cannot overstate the impact of Helen Bonfils on the history of the Elitch Theatre,” Rowley said.

“The Secret Garden,” coming Oct. 4, is Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon’s popular Broadway musical about the 1900s orphan who discovers, well … you know what. It will be directed with minimal lighting by Roberta Hamilton-Griggs. In addition, two local youth theater groups will be having their performances there this summer.

Rowley said it’s possible the Elitch Theatre could one day become home to a professional resident theater company looking for a permanent home. There are functional dressing and rehearsal rooms. But for now he’s looking at the theater as a reasonable option for cultural groups of all sizes, budgets and abilities looking for a rental venue.

For now, the Elitch effort remains grassroots, nonprofit and all-volunteer, and Rowley doesn’t see the scope changing much until he can afford to hire a full-time staff person. He is well aware that this is the last thing those surviving Elitch Theatre-lovers will want to hear, but he’s asking for patience.

Make that more patience.

“My message to our supporters is that I hope they will stick with us and give us one more chance,” Rowley said. “I know people have heard it all before, but the difference this time is that we are being very deliberate in the choices we are making. We are making longer-term and smarter decisions as we try to come up with a workable plan.”