American Theaters: Performance Halls of the Nineteenth Century

American theatres are marvels of design and content and here to celebrate their history is AMERICAN THEATRES, a top pick for any serious college-level holding strong in film and stage history. The book profiles some forty of the finest theatres in operation around the country, covering a range of structures and styles and blending original photos by David Naylor - many published here for the first time - to contrast histories of different venues, from playhouses and opera houses to concert halls. The state-by-state listing of over 200 surviving 19th century theatres assures any serious buff will easily locate venues.

Well-written. Over 300 photos of historic American theaters located in all but six US states (with 18 pages in color). Buildings featured include town hall theaters, Western boom-town opera houses, library theaters, Chautauqua halls, and Grand Opera Houses. Readers will be surprised by the variety and beauty of many theaters in remote areas.