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Wisconsin theaters enjoying an encore [La Crosse Tribune, Wis.]
(La Crosse Tribune (WI) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 12--In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the people of Wisconsin started to crave the finer things in life. That's when opera houses started springing up around the state, including in Shullsburg, Oshkosh, Menomonie, Milwaukee, Stoughton, Independence, Green Lake, Mineral Point, Baraboo and Viroqua.
Back in the day, the Barrymores, Sarah Bernhard and Enrico Caruso trod the boards of these stages. But they were also the place to bring your gal to see a movie picture. The theaters were often the hub of town activities.
But when technology brought innovations such as radio and television, many of these opera houses and theaters were neglected and they sat in disrepair for decades until local citizens rallied to restore the architectural gems featured in "Encore! The Renaissance of Wisconsin Opera Houses."
Author Brian Leahy Doyle takes us on stage and back stage for a tour of these opera houses and introduces us to the people who designed and built them.
It was on a visit to Shullsburg, Wis., for his sister's birthday, that he checked in on the restoration of the opera house there. Since other theaters were being restored, Doyle decided to track the progress and find the story of each theater.
"There are similarities with every theater, regardless if it's in a small town or a large city like Milwaukee. When the theater was built, it was sort of a testament to the growth and development of the community," Doyle said. "Restoration of the theater also led to sort of a renaissance in that community -- a renaissance of civic pride."
Doyle said some communities discovered it would be cheaper to restore their theaters than it would be to tear them down and build new. Other communities simply wanted to hang on to the decorative arts that were intrinsic in all of these buildings.
The Temple Theatre in Viroqua, which is featured in the book, was built in 1922. Doyle said it is an example of a picture playhouse, a genre of theater architecture that developed around World War I that was a combination of a fully functioning stage and a movie theater.
"You're going to take your girl to the picture show or live stage show, and you're going to be in a physically beautiful space," he said. "It was supposed to lift the spirits and make you feel great. It was a vital part of the community."
The Temple, like many of the restored theaters, offers a performing arts season. Doyle will attend a reception there at 3 p.m. on Saturday as part of a book tour. He will also be at Bramble Books at 1:30 p.m. that day.
To see more of the La Crosse Tribune or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.lacrossetribune.com/.
Copyright (c) 2009, La Crosse Tribune, Wis.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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