Part V: The Theatres
Outside the big cities, the theaters in the “one-night stand” towns were often surprisingly small. Julius Cahn’s Guides, which are so important to the study of theater circuits, provided information for thousands of theaters around the country. The big city theaters received the most detailed information, but all the road houses provided information needed for a touring show.
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​It seems amazing today that so many small cities and towns could actually support a theater, but consider this: It was pretty much the only form of entertainment available. No television, no radio, no movies. Gramophones – phonographs – began to appear only in the late 1890s but were still pretty rare. Thus live theater, whether it was drama, opera, burlesque, vaudeville, or whatever, were all performed live, on stage.
If people wanted entertainment, they went to a theater. The names of these venues were somewhat interchangeable and generic. Aside from local names, The Palace, The Star, The National, they were functionally called either theatre or opera house. Outside the big cities, there was not usually any difference in the design of the building.
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Inside most of these theaters you could find any entertainment, drama, opera, vaudeville, and eventually, film. Generally managers did try to specialize in one form or another, but to avoid dark times, anything goes. For example, see Proctor's Theatre in Schenectady, N.Y. "This theatre plays vaudeville. Opens occasionally for a traveling attraction." (JC 1913 @ 477)
In Romney, West Virginia, all the advertisements were for the “Opera House” – no local name – but the sign painted on the front of the building was “THEATRE”.
That is, whether it was theater -- drama or musical -- or vaudeville, or stock or burlesque or whatever, if necessary, book it.
Sanford-Springvale Historical Society
What is very striking about many of these theaters was how small they were.
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Consider these theaters, all in 1905.
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Beach, North Dakota, had a population of 2,000 in 1913. The Beach Opera House had a seating capacity of 550. The proscenium arch was 23 x 14, front to back was 20 feet with a 4 foot apron. This theatre was represented by John Cort's circuit. (JC 1913 @ 493)
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Lima, Montana, population 500. The Opera House had a seating capacity of 400 (!). Illuminated with “gasoline,” the proscenium opening was 20 feet wide, 18 feet high. The depth of the stage from the footlights to the back wall was 15 feet. Since the curtain line to the footlights was four feet, that meant the playing space was only nine feet. The height to the rigging loft was 17 feet. There was a regular four-person orchestra. No circuit.
Trinidad, Colorado, population 10,000. The Opera House had 1,000 seats. The proscenium opening was 22 feet wide, 16 feet high. Footlights to back wall was 20 feet, curtain line to footlights was four feet. Wall to wall (left-right) backstage was 45 feet. Stage to rigging loft was 14 feet. The Trinidad Opera House was part of the Ackerman & Harris Hippodrome Circuit.
The population of Fredonia, New York in 1905 was given as 5,000. The Grand Opera House had a seating capacity of 750. The proscenium was 28 feet wide and 30 feet high. The distance from footlights to the back wall was 32 feet. The stage to the rigging loft was 30 feet. The Grand was a member of Aaron's Associated Theatre Circuit; one of over 500 theaters in the east.