American Theaters: Performance Halls of the Nineteenth Century

New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; Preservation Press, 1997. Cloth, 254 pages, illustrations (some colour); 28 cm. Firm binding, clean inside copy. Dust jacket protected in a mylar book cover. A fine copy of the first printing. OVERSIZE! No priority/international, except by special arrangement. Profusely illustrated. "This beautifully-photographed book offers the complete history of American theaters, highlighting the 40 best theaters in America-from small town halls, to elaborate urban performance houses. It tells the story of why 19th-century theaters remain such a significant force in America's cities and towns, and in our national cultural identity." - Publisher. CONTENTS: THE AMERICAN PERFORMANCE HALL THROUGH HISTORY; Early American Theater Buildings; Backstage in the 1800s; Survival and Revival in the Twentieth Century; Theater Genres. A REVUE OF NINETEENTH-CENTURY AMERICAN THEATERS; Eastern Town Hall Opera Houses; Theatrical Venues in the Midwest; Western Boomtown Opera Houses; Revival Halls and the Chautauqua Circuit; Community Halls and Library Theaters; Victorian Playhouses; Grand Opera Houses and Concert Halls; Alphabetical List of Theaters by State and City; Chronological List of Theaters; Bibliography; Acknowledgments; Index.. 1st. Hardcover. Fine/Fine. 4to. Collectible.