Page 33 - Summer 2022 inLEAGUE with 46th National Conference Program

and the Brooklyn Academy of Music (each in 2 loca-
tions), and the New England Conservatory of Music (3
locations).
Building performing arts only?

The results of this item surprised me. Of America’s 259
pre-1900 theaters, only 34 (13%) have existed in build-
ings used solely for the performing arts. In contrast,
87% have been housed for more than a decade in
multi-purpose buildings (government, retail etc.), or in
buildings which at some point became movie the-
aters, community centers etc.

Theater space primarily performing arts (since opened
as theater)?

I thought it would be interesting to determine how
many of our pre-1900 theaters have primarily present-
ed performing arts over their histories.

If a theater’s primary use over its entire history has
been performing arts, I marked it a “yes” in this col-
umn. However, if at some point in its history a theater
changed its primary use from performing arts to a
movie theater, government office, school, or church, I
labeled it a “no”.
Similarly, I concluded that there are several types of
pre-1900 theater buildings which by their very nature
have not primarily existed for performing arts, and so I
have labeled them as “no” for “Theater space primar-
ily performing arts”.

1) Chautauquas

America’s many historic Chautauquas were primarily
created for educational and religious purposes, and
performing arts have been a secondary use.

2) Academic lecture halls
There are several pre-1900 university lecture / assem-
bly halls which have occasionally hosted performing
arts, such as Sanders Theatre at Harvard (1876), the
Main Building Auditorium at Drexel University (1891),
and Richardson Auditorium at Princeton (1894).
Because their primary use has been for academic pur-
poses, I have not included them as “primarily perform-
ing arts”.

3) Fraternal organization halls
Opera houses whose ownership transitioned to frater-
nal organizations such as the Elks, Masons, Scottish Rite
Freemasonry etc. have typically been used primarily
for club purposes rather than public performing arts.
(story continues next page)

46th National Conference & Theatre Tour July 2022 INLEAGUE | PAGE 31