The Plaza Theater
| The
following photos are some of
the rarest I've come across, and to my knowledge never published
before. These photos are circa 1915 of The Plaza Theater, which
stood on Summers Street and the building is still there today being
used. The Plaza dates back to the time of Vaudeville..... live
shows before movie houses were all the rage. |
| These fine
looking gentleman are
standing near the main entrance. I believe that these people are with
the famous "Al. G. Field Show", who played here often and became
friends with many people, including the governor. |
| It's no
wonder why people flocked
to this Vaudeville theater. While not overly opulent, it still
held magic for those who entered to get away from the daily grind of
the turn of the century. See the three tiny windows above the
balcony? That appears to be a projection booth for showing silent
films, which had just started to catch-on in a big way by the time
these photos were taken. |
| A stage
show at the Plaza.
These actors are probably the same you saw in the second photo.
Some of the actors are dressed in powdered wigs and the finery of the
1700s, while others are in black face. In Al G. Fields book, he
states: The greater part of their press work was devoted to
informing the public that we were not genuine minstrels, our singers
wore white wigs, flesh colored stockings and satin suits. This I
believe is another clue that this is in fact a Fields show, not to
mention that the guy in the center looks like Field. To
learn more about Al G. Field, Click Here |
| Another
stage production at the
Plaza. This is an eclectic cast to say the least. You have
cowboys and farmers and what appears to be a Bobby. The backdrop
suggests the Rockies or someplace out West. |
BUT
THEN.......
So... where WAS the Plaza Theater?
Click on the photo for the surprising
answer.
*Photos courtesy of Dave Blackwell, who
found them in a drawer of a table purchased many years ago in
Charleston.
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