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A Tale of Three Theaters
Join us as we look back at the Golden Age of Theater, the 1920s, when a theater was literally a “Movie Palace”. Some of the best architects in the world designed “atmospheric theaters” where visitors would be taken away to palatial other worlds. In the 1920s live peacocks paraded around the lobbies of such theaters as Terre Haute’s Indiana Theatre. The theaters that we will look at today were built in the 1920s, before the Great Depression of the 1930s forced a scaling back of the lavish adornments. As with other historic architecture, no matter how grand or beloved the building, not all theaters survive. Some flourish while others struggle just to stay standing. There are many other theaters with fascinating stories throughout Indiana that have gone through the same challenges. Some survive, others don’t. For now we will look at three theaters in west-central Indiana: Terre Haute’s Indiana Theatre, the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre of Bloomington, and The Tivoli of Spencer.
The Indiana Theatre in Terre Haute Designed by architect John Eberson and built in 1922, the Indiana Theatre has the rare distinction of having been in continuous operation. While most theaters have at some time sat idle, the Indiana, which originally was a stage theater for Vaudeville productions, has been maintained for nearly 80 years. The theater is designed in a Spanish baroque style. The flooring in the lobby is original Terrazzo tile and the ceiling is lined by thirty-eight hand-carved sculptures. Original drinking fountains, marble staircases and chandeliers adorn the lobby. A faux carved balcony on the wall of the theater replaces what was once a massive pipe organ, and the ceilings are all molded. The theater seats around 1,600 people, and since the very early days has been used as a movie theater. The screen is one of the two largest screens in Indiana, and can be raised for productions on the stage.
Granite stairs, molded ceilings and ornate decorative statues are just some of the many touches that make this an amazing theatre. Over the years the Indiana Theatre has hosted live acts such as bands, plays, and seminars. In the 1960s cooking shows were popular, and photographs in the lobby show a full house for these televised demonstrations. People have increasingly started renting the theater for private parties, conferences, sit-down dinners in the lobby, weddings and bar mitzvahs. Debbie Gurman, one of the owners, is happy to be able to share this treasure with the public, and likes seeing it used by more than just movie fans. The Gurmans and a group of partners purchased the Indiana Theatre in 1996. Debbie, having once been a professional actress said, “This was beyond my wildest dreams, to have an actual theater to play in, with the original dressing rooms. It’s incredible to think people like George Burns once performed here.” At one time, grand theaters were part of a town’s culture. John Eberson was one of the most highly regarded theater architects of all time and was called the “Dean of American Theatre Architects”. He designed around 200 theaters across the nation, and of these only seven remain. The Scottish Rite temple of Terre Haute was also designed by Eberson, and though smaller has similar architecture. He also designed The Paramont in Anderson, Indiana, the Paradise Theater in Chicago, the Houston Majestic Theater, and thirteen theaters in the Washington D.C. area. Anderson’s Paramont has also survived.
Even the tile floors are intricately decorated Terre Haute’s Indiana Theatre is now on the National Historic Register, and is a shining example of how a jewel from the past can live on even as times change. Today modern movie fans fill the ornate hallways and lobby. People of today can still appreciate the skill that went into the building and preserving of this old treasure. They can stop in the lobby and look at the pictures of the old theater being built from ground up, and connect with generations of people who have walked the same halls over the last 80 years. FOR INFORMATION SEE. The Indiana Theatre is located at 683 Ohio Street, Terre Haute, Indiana. For more information see www.indianatheater.com or call 812-232-8076. Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, Bloomington Bloomington’s Buskirk-Chumley Theatre has been a downtown landmark since it was built in 1922. Designed by theater architect _________, it was once called The Indiana Theatre.
Inside the auditorium of Buskirk-Chumley Theatre Vaudeville acts and live bands also graced the stage of the Indiana Theatre. Composer and musician Hoagy Carmichael performed on stage with “The Collegians” from 1925 through 1928. But over the years a town’s economy, people and culture change. Other theaters came and went and Hollywood’s “Golden Age” faded. Bloomington’s Indiana Theatre faced an uncertain future, and in 1975 it was sold to Kerasotes. A second upstairs screen was added, and movies were shown there until the mid 1990s, when the doors were closed to the public. Though it was closed, the Kerasotes realized the potential for the historic theater, and handed over ownership to the Bloomington Area Arts Council. It was a gift with one stipulation - that it would not be used as a movie theater.
(Photo provided by the Bloomington Area Arts Council) Today the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre has gained the support of the community, which has worked for its preservation. A city-wide task force has just completed a proposal to fund, manage and operate the theater. An old theater is expensive to restore and maintain. In short, the financial status of the theater has been bleak. But in just a few months, the story has begun to brighten. Contributions by the Buskirk and Chumley families, other prominent families, and a grant from the Build Indiana Fund made the renovations possible. Today the theater has been restored to its 1920s grandeur, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Under the new plan the Bloomington Area Arts Council will operate the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, possibly in limited public-private partnership with the City of Bloomington. The Lotus Festival, an established world music festival would manage the theater as a performing arts facility that will serve the community. The Buskirk-Chumley Theatre has gone through some growing pains, but is proving to be a survivor. The Bloomington area will enjoy this community theater for many years to come. The Buskirk-Chumley Theatre is located at 114 E. Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, Indiana. Call the Sunshine Box Office at 812-323-3020 or see http://www.artlives.org/bct.html. The Tivoli Theatre, once called “the finest of its kind” by a national theater publication, now sits vacant on Spencer’s courthouse square. Until 1998 when the last movie was shown, the Tivoli had been one of the longest continuous running movie theaters in Indiana. Not only does the Tivoli hold special memories for the residents of Spencer, it has been cherished because it was built by the revered Spencer artist E.M. Viquesney. Although the future of the Tivoli Theatre is bleak at present, supporters hold on to hope that it will some day be restored. The Tivoli Theatre opened on New Years Eve, 1928 to a crowd of 1,200. The world premier of “Fallen Angel” starring Gary Cooper and Nancy Carrell played to viewers stunned by the theater’s beauty. Arched passageways led into the atmospheric auditorium, which was designed to look like an enclosed Spanish garden. Viquesne’s life-sized statue of a boy and girl playing harp and mandolin and other statuary adorned the interior. The balcony was covered in antique copper, and the ticket booth was finished in marble. Heavy red and green curtains were draped over antique poles, and a magnificent pipe organ sat in a central orchestra pit, which Viquesne’s wife played during silent movies. The exterior of the Tivoli was also dazzling. The Moorish style featured a copper marquee above a light buff-colored stucco trimmed in green. The architect for the project was Horam Callender, Jr., of Greencastle, Indiana. E. M. Viquesne saw the growing popularity of movie palaces, and felt that Spencer could draw visitors from other towns with a magnificent theater. The Tivoli enjoyed many prosperous years, as a movie theater, and also with stage productions and concerts. Older Spencer residents have memories of going to the movies and for 50 cents being able to pay for admission, a Coke and a popcorn. Having been the only theater in Spencer for seventy years, many first dates were had at The Tivoli. The theater also has special significance because of its creator, E.M. Viquesne. Though his name may not be widely known outside of Owen County, his works may be some of the most widely seen public sculptures in the nation. The most famous, “The Spirit of the American Doughboy” adorns the lawns of at least 138 county courthouse lawns, including Spencer’s, and ten others in Indiana. When the theater closed in 1998 it was without much fanfare. At first its closure was barely noticed. The Tivoli had fallen into disrepair over the last twenty years, and its glory days had passed. But a group of citizens could not just stand by and watch this old gem disappear. They formed Friends of the Tivoli to at least look into the feasibility of a restoration. John Loveland organized this effort, and enough money was raised to do a feasibility study. This showed that it would take around a million dollars to properly restore the theater, and that didn’t include the purchase of the building. If enough money could be raised by the community, he believes that matching grants would be available. But without donors with deep pockets, a million dollars is a lot of money for a small town to raise, no matter how much interest is expressed. There are so many possibilities, John believes. “The theater could potentially house a theater space, but could also do cinema too. I would like to see it used in conjunction with the school system and provide a space that is curriculum-driven,” Loveland explained in a Herald Times interview. Today there is no movie theater in Spencer, and there is no auditorium in the county. School performances are held in “cafetoriums”, where the hard work of the students is sometimes lost to poor acoustics and visibility. Spencer’s Tivoli Theatre is indeed an endangered landmark, but one worthy of the effort it would take to once again light up the marquee and welcome moviegoers and supporters of the arts. To contact Friends of the Tivoli email [email protected]. |
All Feature Articles, artwork and photographs ©2001 by Dervish Design. Some information on the 'County Info' pages is taken directly from brochures published by Visitors Bureaus and Chambers of Commerce.
