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Walnut Street Theatre
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.
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Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Walnut Street Theatre." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Walnut Street Theatre." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-WalnutStreetTheatre.html Gerald Bordman and Thomas S. Hischak. "Walnut Street Theatre." The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. 2004. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O149-WalnutStreetTheatre.html |
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Walnut Street Theatre
Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, oldest playhouse in the USA. Originally built as a circus in 1809, it was first used as a theatre two years later, competing with the Chestnut Street Theatre and, from 1828, with the Arch Street Theatre. After the financial crisis experienced by the theatres of Philadelphia in 1829 the Walnut Street continued to operate with a good stock company which supported visiting guest players. Seating 1,052, it was remodelled in 1970, and from 1971 to 1980 provided a home for the Philadelphia Drama Guild.
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Cite this article
PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Walnut Street Theatre." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Walnut Street Theatre." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-WalnutStreetTheatre.html PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Walnut Street Theatre." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-WalnutStreetTheatre.html |
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