OPERA HOUSE BEGINNING
It was the idea of the civic leaders of the time to build a Town Hall that could be used and enjoyed by all Pemberville
citizens. In 1891, during the height of the Oil Boom, construction began on a Town Hall with its' own Opera House on the second
floor. completed at a cost under $6,000. on July 5, 1892, the Opera House boasted folding seats for 250 people as well as
a "modern stage" for its' time. There were two trap doors, one on the stage and one leading to the scenery attic,
as well as three dressing rooms. The Opera House functioned with a "raked stage" designed for point-of-perspective
view, and Old-English style scenery. Scenes were made by sliding a series of flats into wooden grooves suspended from the
ceiling; one scene was slid into view while another was removed. Hand-painted Roll-Drops were also used to create large, picturesque
scenes. A small ticket booth was located under the stairs and public opinion remained that the Opera House be self-supportive
from the start.
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| Scenery Slats |
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| Roll Drop Scenery |
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| Case with show memoribilia |
JEPTHA'S DAUGHTER,a Biblical play, was the first production staged in the Opera
House in Novermber 1892. Soon after, local residents formed the Oriental Club in order to produce more entertainment. By 1894,
Opera House use was such that wear and tear repairs had to be made on scenery units and foot rails. Gilbert and Sullivan's
THE MIKADO was the first opera to be performed in Pemberville. 1899 also brought forth electric lights to the delight of local
performers.
Performances featured local talent and professional entertainers/tours and included concerts, medicine
shows, operettas and old fashioned vaudeville routines. It is widely known that the 1890's fostered the greatest use of the
Opera House.
In addition to theatrical/musical entertainment, the "house" was even turned into a basketball
court. The first basketball game was played on October 17, 1910 and at one point, crowes were so large that local leaders
discussed adding a balcony to the space.
Throughout the 1920's and 30's the popular Opera House hosted dances,
concerts, lectures, political meetings, socials. husking bees, graduation ceremonies, Boy Scout meetings, class plays and
holiday parties. Food was often prepared on gas stoves on the stage. A local music teacher from Elmore gave regular music
lessons when performance weren't happening. In 1934, one hundred and thirty-five seats were purchased from a Toledo lawyer
for a total of $13.40. Unfortunately, World War II captured the attention of the nation and the Opera house stopped
being used.
From there it lay
dormant used basically as storage for town records until the early nineties when the historical society took interest. By
1998 enough funds were raised to start the restoration process. Please click below to take a look at the Restoration page
for more information on the restoration of the opera house.
The Restoration Process~The Restoration
