Walnut Street Theatre (Philadelphia). The oldest active playhouse in America, it was built as a circus in 1809 and converted to legitimate theatre two years later as the Olympic. Despite occasional dark periods and use as a burlesque house, its history has been distinguished. For many years it was a major rival to the city's Arch Street and Chestnut Street Theatres and for much of the 19th century housed an important stock company. The theatre also hosted performances by Edwin Booth, Edwin Forrest and others, was the first American theatre to install gas footlights in 1837, and in 1855 introduced a primitive air conditioning system. In the 20th century it served as a venue for major tryouts and tours, operating as a Shubert house between 1941 and 1969. In 1968 the building was declared a National Landmark, and a major renovation restored the theatre to its 1928 look. The Walnut Street Theatre Company was founded in 1983 by a group of community leaders organized by Ed Rome and Bernard Havard. The repertory is conservative, emphasizing comedies and musicals, which has resulted in one of the largest subscription bases in the nation.
Walnut Street Theatre
| American Theater Guide: Walnut Street Theatre |
| Wikipedia: Walnut Street Theatre |
| Walnut Street Theatre | |
|---|---|
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| Address |
825 Walnut Street
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| City |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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| Country | United States |
| Designation | National Historic Landmark |
| Architect | William Strickland |
| Owned by | Non-profit Organization |
| Capacity | 1054 |
| Opened | 1809 |
| Rebuilt | 1828, John Haviland 1903, Willis Hale 1920, William H. Lee |
| Previous names | The New Circus The Olympic |
| www.walnutstreettheatre.org | |
The Walnut Street Theatre (or simply The Walnut), located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 825 Walnut Street, is the oldest continuously operating theatre in the English-speaking world and the oldest in the United States.[1] The venue has three stages: the Mainstage, for the company's primary and larger productions, the Independence Studio on 3, a studio located on the building's third floor for smaller productions, and the Studio 5 on the fifth floor, which is rented out for independent productions.
Contents |
History
The Walnut Street Theatre was built by the Circus of Pepin and Breschard, which toured the United States from 1807 until 1815. Pepin and Breschard constructed numerous venues in cities along the East Coast of the United States, which often featured, along with performances of their circus, classical plays as well as horse dramas.[2][3] The theatre was founded in 1809, going by the name of The New Circus. In 1811, the two partners commissioned architect William Strickland to design and construct a stage and orchestra pit for theatrical performances and the theatre's name was changed to The Olympic. The first use of The Walnut Street Theatre as its name occurred in 1820, however it was changed back to The Olympic in 1822 and then back again to The Walnut, this time for good, in 1828.
The Walnut was the first theatre to install gas footlights in 1837. In 1855 it was also the first theatre to feature air conditioning. The theatre switched to electric chandeliers and footlights in 1892. The theatre has undergone many renovations since its opening.
The first theatrical production at the theatre was The Rivals in 1812 (President Thomas Jefferson and the Marquis de Lafayette were in attendance). Edwin Booth and John Sleeper Clarke purchased the theatre in 1865, and then the theatre became part of The Shubert Organization in 1941. While part of the Shubert chain, the theatre housed many pre-Broadway tryouts of soon-to-be classics, including:
- A Streetcar Named Desire with Marlon Brando (1947)
- Mister Roberts with Henry Fonda (1948)
- Gigi with Audrey Hepburn (1951)
- The Diary of Anne Frank with Susan Strasberg (1955)
- A Raisin in the Sun with Sidney Poitier (1959)
- A Man For All Seasons starring Paul Scofield (1961)
| Walnut Street Theatre | |
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| U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
| U.S. National Historic Landmark | |
 Drawing by Charles Burton, c. 1830
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| Location: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Coordinates: | 39°56′54″N 75°9′20″W / 39.94833°N 75.15556°W |
| Built/Founded: | 1809 |
| Architect: | John Haviland |
| Architectural style(s): | Classical Revival |
| Governing body: | Private |
| Added to NRHP: | October 15, 1966 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 66000693[4] |
On October 15, 1966, The Walnut Street Theatre was designated a National Historic Landmark and in 1969, the theatre was purchased by a non-profit organization and turned over to the new Walnut Street Theatre Corporation. On September 23, 1976, it was the site of the first presidential debate between Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter. The Walnut Street Theatre Company was formed in 1983, a non-profit regional producing company. In 1984, the Walnut Street Theatre School was established and over 1,200 students enroll annually, and 1986 introduced the Independence Studio on 3 series.
To this day, the company produces five productions a season on the theatre's main stage and is the most subscribed theatre company in the world. In Fall 2008, the theater celebrated its 200th season of live entertainment.
References
- ^ ExplorePAhistory.com
- ^ Havard, Bernard and Sylvester, Mark D. Walnut Street Theatre. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2008. p9
- ^ Google BooksWalnut Street Theatre
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23. http://www.nr.nps.gov/.
Further reading
- Webster, Richard J., Philadelphia Preserved. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 1976.
- Teitelman, Edward, and Richard W. Longstreth, Architecture in Philadelphia: A Guide. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1974.
- Havard, Bernard and Sylvester, Mark D., Walnut Street Theatre. Charleston: Arcadia Publishing, 2008
External links
- Walnut Street Theatre Online - official website
- Listing and photographs at the Historic American Buildings Survey
- Listing and photographs at Philadelphia Architects and Buildings
- National Historic Landmark Listing at the National Park Service
- ExplorePAhistory.com
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
 | Samuel F. Nixon-Nirdlinger (American theater) |
| Russell Smith (American Theater) |
| J. Hudson Kirby (American Theater) |
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 | American Theater Guide. The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Copyright © 2004 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Walnut Street Theatre". Read more |
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