Peterville Theatre History

The St. George Theatre Restoration Inc.is based off of the St. George Theatre in Staten Island, New York. Through their website St. George Theatre (2015), it is stated that they are a non-profit organization that is dedicated to the restoration of the historic theatre and its development as a cultural and performing arts center for Staten Island and all of New York City by providing community outreach, educational programs and public performances. They are located at 35 Hyatt Street, Staten Island, NY 10301.

The Globe Theater was an octagon shape and had three different stories to it. Levels one and two were for dressing and storage. Level three was upper stage and balcony, resembling the courtyard, or a bridge of a ship. The Globe Theater was built with oak wood and timber, the walls were made with plaster. The stage had a canopy over it that represented “the heavens”, moon, stars, planets, sun, etc. There were two pillars supporting the canopy. The stage did not have a curtain either. There were trap doors, entrances and exits, underneath the stage were represented as “hell”. This theater was located in an area called Bankside.

The Charles theatre is a Beaux-Arts building designed by architect, Jackson C. Gott in 1892, that did not originally begin as a movie theater, but as a street car barn and powerhouse known to locals as the Baltimore City Passenger Railway Power House and Car Barn, only later becoming a popular dance club hosting national acts such as Tommy Dorsey and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Although, the Beaux-Arts buildings were originally designed to be a cable car barn on the north side and a powerhouse on the south side and is now known to many as a movie theater. The original buildings served as cable car facilities for four years after which they became a streetcar barn, a bus barn, a library for the blind, and a Famous Ballroom. The Times Theatre

Located on 24-28 W. Randolph Street, the four story tall “L-shaped” Iroquois Theater was designed after the Opera Comique in Paris, France. The stain glass windows and polished wood throughout the building made it even more magnificent. The 60-foot-tall main lobby ceiling made a grand entrance for any of the paying guests. With walls made out of marble, the

The Globe Theater was a theater that was built and owned by Shakespeare and the group he belonged to called the Lord Chamberlain's Men. Although it is not known exactly when the theater was built, the first record of it shows that it was built before the end of 1599. The Globe Theater was built using lumber from a theater that was not very far away. Even though the Globe Theater was built with wood from a dismantled theater, it was not the same as the previous theater. In fact the globe theater was much larger than the previous one. The theater was a great success for many years; nevertheless, it was burned down in summer of 1613 during a play of Henry VIII. During the performance something happened to a theatrical cannon to cause it to misfire

The theater was built in the same spot as the original “Globe Theater” with the same design which mimicked The Coliseum”. The arches the original coliseum used were 7.05 meters height and the entire building is 156 meters height. It is so large that at its max it could hold up to 50,000 people inside. “The architectural style of The Globe was similar to the Coliseum in Rome, but on a smaller scale-” The Coliseum was built using many arches as support systems with the fourth story using no using arches but having small rectangular windows.

The Globe Theater, being one of the grandest theaters in London, has had many ups and downs through the years. For example, the original Globe Theater was burnt down. It was built in London, in an area called Southwark. Around the time, it was built it was the 1500’s during Shakespeare’s time, yes the William Shakespeare the play writer. William Shakespeare would write plays for the theater and there would be performances performed by men. The Globe was designed and constructed for the Chamberlin Men. The theater was owned by actors who were also shareholders like William Shakespeare, Richard Burbage, and Cuthbert Burbage. The Globe Theater is also one of the most historical theaters in the world.

The Temple Theatre was built in 1926 by the Elf Khurafeh Shrine after the Music Academy burned down. The new building was considered a modern-day marvel at the time, featuring fireproof construction, geo-thermal cooling, better acoustics, and a state of the art stage rigging and dimming system. The outside of the building has a classical design and was decorated with an ornamental iron marquee. It is unclear if the iron details remain today. Overall, the building cost $1 million, and was later rented to Butterfield Theaters. The Temple also had a "trolley car" (box marquee) design, but this feature was later removed in 1960 because of an animal infestation. The sign was replaced with a modern wedge design, which was popular due to the rise

Roman theatres were outdoors and this somewhat helped with lighting and even sound. Theatre and arenas today can be seen across the world having the same structure and design of the Roman Theatre. The structure was built high and the arena was built to match the height of it and this prevented the audience from looking beyond the stage so their focus would be to only look at what is taking place in front of them. It became more like a surrounded overhead area that somewhat lowered the amount of noise that entered the theatre that would come from the city. The top of the theatre was left open but a shade would be provided that could be thrown over quickly.

Built in 1855 the Longstreet Theater on Greene Street at the University of South Carolina is one of its oldest buildings. Completed two years later than predicted, it was supposed to be a college hall. However, it was first used as a military hospital during the civil war, and then as an arsenal and armory, before being remodeled into a theater house in 1976. Resembling a Roman temple, the theater has four stories; one of which is underground, with access to the surface by an elevator. The theater room is circular, with a “theater in the round” stage that allows the audience to get a full view of what is happening. Nevertheless, in some situations the stage is made into a temporary “thrust stage” according to need. Moreover, the room was dark

The set which was the interior of a hotel, was quite detailed and included all the bells and whistles (literally). For instance, the multiple doors integrated was perfect for the exaggerated and dramatic slams, that usually signaled a musical number. The one thing I will say that was a bit disappointing, was that lack of luxury. The way the hotel on Broadway was described to me from my sister, who is a theater enthusiast, was that it was one of luxury and money, but I felt although it was an intricate set, it did fall short on the little affluent particulars, such as the chandeliers I heard so much about. Eric Nelson on the other hand designed the lighting design, which I personally enjoyed because I thought he clearly and boldly highlighted the hilarious mischief of the production.

There were other amenities that were lacking for the theaters. Almost all the lighting for the theater was natural light. This meant that most plays would have to be show during the daytime. The theaters did not have heating either. In the winter months they would have to shut the theater down and be transferred to indoor playhouses. This actually helped boost popularity because it gave the people something to do during the cold winter months since it was inside. There were no microphones or soundboards to be able to hear so actors had to speak loudly and clearly. Unfortunately, there were also no toilets at the theater. “But there were no toilets and the floor they stood on was probably just sand, ash or covered in nutshells” (Shakespeare Globe Education). During the summer hours when it would become real hot the pit would be called the “stinkards.”

Today, it is not that common for society to take in interest in Renaissance Theatres which is a shame considering how much time and work go into designing and building this beautiful buildings. Today there are only three Renaissance Theatres lasting in existence. It is astounding to read that only three of theatres are left. It must have taken a lot of planning and hard work in order to make those theatres perfect and last as long as they have. One of Italy’s greatest architects, Andrea Palladio had the honor of designing one of those Renaissance Theatres. That theatre is called the Teatro Olimpico.

“The Theatre” was build in a similar style to the Roan Coliseum, but on a smaller scare. The Elizabethan ampithetre was designed to hold a capacity of up to 3000 people.” (http://www.elizabethan-era.org.uk/history-of-the-elizabethan-theatre.htm)

A visit to any of the Washington, D.C. based National Building Museum’s exhibit starts with taking in the grandeur of the museum itself. Located in the historic Pension Building, a towering Italian Revival structure, the museum opened in 1980, with a mission to “to advance the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives (About the National Building Museum, 2016).” The museum 's great hall features 75 foot high corinthian columns, as well as a 1,200 foot long, 3 foot high frieze designed by Caspar Buberl in 1899. The very structure of this museum is an exhibit in and of itself, and it sets the stage for discussions about the evolution of American architecture, investigations into why we live where we do, and explorations of work and play.