Parkersburg, W.VA. (WTAP) – The Smoot Theater has brought joy and entertainment in the Mid -Ohio valley for almost a century.
The Theater Smoot was built in 1926 by the Brothers Charles and Fayette Smoot.
According to Felice Jorgeson, the voluntary head of the Theater Smoot, the construction was carried out by Barry Construction of Belpre and lasted from March to October.
The theater could accommodate 720 customers at the same time.
Jorgeson said that the first years of theater activity showed representations from Vaudeville.
“It meant there were a variety of things on the stage. There would be something for everyone. You might like dancers. I would like the singers maybe.
When the great depression struck in 1929, the Smoot brothers were forced to sell the theater.
It was bought in 1930 by Warner Brothers and transformed into cinema.
Jorgeson said Warner Brothers had renovated in the theater to adapt.
“They brought their own manager here by Pittsburgh, then painted the panel, and they also redid the theater decor in the 1930s in the early 1930s,” said Jorgeson.
According to their website, the Smoot Theater was acquired by a group of volunteers in 1989 and has been on their care since.
The theater is currently a 501C3 organization which still hosts performance for the community.
Jorgeson said he should keep the story of the theater alive by teaching local children to the entertainment of Vaudeville.
“What we call the Vaudeville camp, and because it was a Vaudeville theater, and if you are a fourth year student, which the devil is Vaudeville, you have never heard of it, but we teach children Le Vaudeville, and we learn the music of the period,” said Jorgeson.
There are many articles in the theater that was there when the theater opened.
The balcony always has the original seats of the beginning of the 20th century and has been padded so that customers can use now.
Jorgeson said volunteers are trying to make sure that the history of the theater remains alive.
“Our goal was not to renovate, but to restore, and I think there is a big difference in these two words. For example, the tapestry that you currently see on the walls, this is not what was there, but there was a tapestry there that was old-fashioned,” said Jorgeson.
Learn more about the Smoot brothers
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were seven theaters in Parkersburg. The Smoot Brothers had three of these theaters, the Smoot Theater being one of them.
The SMOOT SMOOT SMOT, Charles was the president and FAYETTE was vice-president. Their sister Julia was secretary.
Smoots also owned Camden Theater and Lincoln Theater. The Camden Theater burned and the Parkersburg Art Center was then built on the site. The Lincoln Theater was sold later and he finally became Actors Guild.
At the time, Camden Theater was the best theater in all of Virginia-Western. He had more than 1,000 seats for customers. As it was the greatest theater that had, they welcomed famous artists like Houdini.
There was a theater with a smootre house pâté theater at the corner of Fifth Street and Avery Street named the Theater Auditorium where Itech is currently located. He did a lot of business because there was a station on the other side of the street. The Smoot Brothers bought the theater to cut the competition and close it. It forced customers to go to their theaters.
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