In case you don't know us, Richard Poole is Emeritus Professor of Theatre at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa, while I (George Glenn) am Emeritus Professor of Theatre History at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa. We met through our membership in the Mid-America Theatre Conference (MATC) back in the 1970s and collaborated on preparing the "Iowa" chapter in MATC's 1988 monograph, Opera Houses of the Midwest. We did a pretty good job on that which inspired us to expand that chapter into our book, The Opera Houses of Iowa (Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press, 1993).
NOW
The Opera Houses of Iowa (2019)
Revised, updated, and expanded!
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Major Price Reduction!
Hardcover edition price REDUCED over 60% -- now only $33.50 from our print-on-demand publisher, Lulu.com.
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The Opera Houses of Iowa (2019)
Revised, updated, and expanded!
BREAKING NEWS!
Major Price Reduction!
Hardcover edition price REDUCED over 60% -- now only $33.50 from our print-on-demand publisher, Lulu.com.
To order, visit www.lulu.com and search for the title, or use this link:
https://www.lulu.com/search?q=the+opera+houses+of+iowa&adult_audience_rating=00
Hint: Check the yellow banner at the top of Lulu’s website for additional discounts on all printed books.
The first three chapters include a definition of the term "opera house," descriptions of opera house architectural styles, including single-story and upper-story houses as well as stage-oriented houses; descriptions of opera house scenery and machinery followed by a discussion of the many social functions the opera houses fulfilled in the period between 1860 and 1920. The final 162 pages consist of a descriptive and illustrated catalog of all the identified opera houses in Iowa, both extant (structure still standing as of 2019) and non-extant.
Although the examples cited are specific to Iowa it should be emphasized that what was true of the theatre in Iowa between 1860 and 1920 was also representative of the theatre in the country as a whole.
Although the examples cited are specific to Iowa it should be emphasized that what was true of the theatre in Iowa between 1860 and 1920 was also representative of the theatre in the country as a whole.
Want a little more? OK -- Here's the table of contents.
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction.
Act I
Act II
Chapter 1. Opera Houses in Iowa
Origin of the “Opera House” Euphemism
Opera House Categorization
Single-Story Opera Houses
Upper-Story Opera Houses
Stage-Oriented Upper Story Opera Houses
“Grand” Opera Houses
Chapter 2. Opera House Scenery and Machinery
Iowa-based Opera House Scenic Designers
J. F. Briggs
Louis Syberkrop
Jesse Cox
Standard Opera House Scenery
Front Room Settings
Back Room Settings
Timber Settings
Other Localized Settings
Fancy Front Drops
Advertising Front Drops
Lighting the Opera House
Chapter 3. The Opera House as Social Space: Performers and Performances
Production Companies, Plays and Other Activities
Some Significant Iowa Troupes and Stars
The Medicine Show
Musical Programs
Educational Programs
Miscellaneous Functions of the Opera House
Chapter 4. A Descriptive Catalog of Iowa Opera Houses
Introduction
Extant Opera Houses
Non-Extant Opera Houses
Appendix: Orphans.
Glossary of Opera House Theatrical Terms, and Inflation Calculator
References
Acknowledgments
Introduction.
Act I
Act II
Chapter 1. Opera Houses in Iowa
Origin of the “Opera House” Euphemism
Opera House Categorization
Single-Story Opera Houses
Upper-Story Opera Houses
Stage-Oriented Upper Story Opera Houses
“Grand” Opera Houses
Chapter 2. Opera House Scenery and Machinery
Iowa-based Opera House Scenic Designers
J. F. Briggs
Louis Syberkrop
Jesse Cox
Standard Opera House Scenery
Front Room Settings
Back Room Settings
Timber Settings
Other Localized Settings
Fancy Front Drops
Advertising Front Drops
Lighting the Opera House
Chapter 3. The Opera House as Social Space: Performers and Performances
Production Companies, Plays and Other Activities
Some Significant Iowa Troupes and Stars
The Medicine Show
Musical Programs
Educational Programs
Miscellaneous Functions of the Opera House
Chapter 4. A Descriptive Catalog of Iowa Opera Houses
Introduction
Extant Opera Houses
Non-Extant Opera Houses
Appendix: Orphans.
Glossary of Opera House Theatrical Terms, and Inflation Calculator
References