When they did, the old building smelled of decay was filled with trash, and water seeped from the walls, floors, and ceilings.įor the next 14 months, the Hills renovated the building, restoring much of it to its original 1932 façade and revamping the front portion of the building to utilize as offices. Though the site was ideal, Hill and his wife, Sunshine, thought long and hard before purchasing the dilapidated property near the historic Cherry Street district. Hill was looking for a midtown location for his law office.
Over the next decade, the aging building changed hands several times and was utilized for several purposes, including a church, a nightclub, and a recording studio.īy 2004, the 10,000 square-foot building had fallen into serious disrepair and suffered criminal neglect. The old theatre building sat vacant for the next two years until it finally sold. More than a decade later, in 1989, the group had outgrown their building and moved to the Tulsa Performing Arts Center, where it continues to be the resident company of the facility. but remained in the art nouveau location. In 1974, the troupe changed its name to Theatre Tulsa, Inc. Though the fire destroyed much of the upstairs property, the theatre persevered. Just a year later, the theatre suffered yet another blaze during the production of South Pacific. In 1965, the theatre suffered a fire after its third performance of The Women, destroying stage props, furniture, and costumes. Over the years, the theater hosted hundreds of plays and entertainment events as it went through multiple directors and saw actors come and go. During the 1930s and ’40s, the Delaware Playhouse, as it became known, was the epicenter of Tulsa’s arts and entertainment scene. East Lynne, the first production at their new location, was performed in a tent.ĭespite the Great Depression, the Tulsa Little Theatre continued its performances and, in 1932, completed its permanent building. In 1929, the Little Theatre purchased the property at 15th and Delaware, it’s home for the next 60 years. By 1925, the Little Theatre group numbered over 300 members and performed at the Alhambra Theater at 15th and Peoria. Workshops were held in the storage room of Palace Clothiers, which later became the location of the Ritz Theater.
The little theatre kansas city movie#
However, they were undeterred, maintaining that “the show must go on” in any place they could find – large canvas tents, movie theaters, and even at the American Legion before they finally found built their permanent home at 15th and Delaware. In the beginning, the Little Theatre troupe had no permanent location when it started offering productions in 1922. The Tulsa Little Theatre, located in an unassuming brick building at 15th and Delaware Streets in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is not only steeped in history but is also said to be home to several unearthly guests.īuilt in 1932 by the Tulsa Little Theatre group, in an extremely plain art nouveau design, the first show produced in their new building was the Cradle Song.
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