Thursday, March 31, 1949
THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
PAGE 3
Fanrfy-Yeair-OId Theater Praecj? SWW Biteam
History Says Structure Theater
Has Been Tumbling Since 1907
BY FRANK JACOBS
Scene one. The Temple theater 1907.
The inaugeral performance has just received its final curtain call. The audience is
leaving the auditorium. Tha actors are removing their makeup. Two students comment
as they pass through the exit.
Joe "Wonderful auditorium, isn't it?"
Nobody Home
1
j
it's
ft
A LONE FIGURE views the empty stage of the Temple Theatre.
Except for a few props, relies of past performances, the ancient
floorboards know no weight except the weight of time. Badly in
need of refinishing and more than a bit weatherbcaten, the
deserted stage is a most imposing reminder of the sorrowful state
of campus dramatics.
Temple Sidelights
It's not surprising to hear that
the Temple Theater was the first
university dramatic building of
its kind erected west of the Mis
sippi. Built in 1905, it is the sec
ond oldest university unit in the
country.
Besides cancellation of Univer
sity Theater plays, the condemn
ing of the Temple has meant ban
ning of the Opera, Kosmet Klub
Spring Musical, and all Music
hool concerts.
The University Theater is one
of the few campus self-supported
departments. All office and stage
equipment has been purchased
through funds collected at the
box-office.
The annual "Cavalcade of
Drama" has been all but canceled.
An annual series of four student
directed three-act plays, the
"Cavalcade" this year will not be
open to the public.
Not that the Temple is weath
erbeaten but. During this win
ter's severe snowstorms, it was
not uncommon on a stormy day
to see fluttery flakes of. white
floating to the orchestra pit. If
and when repairs are made, the
roof, in all probability, will be
fixed first.
Curtain Ripping . . .
t : I Jt - :
ONE OF MANY rips in the "asbestos and fire-proof" theatre cur
tain is surveyed by Jack Norman. Full of holes and having a sieve
like appearance, the curtain is but one of many theater compon
ents in dine need of replacement. From the other side of the cur
tain, resigned theatre workers glumly watch the proceedings.
Andy "Fine place. Guess
the best in the country."
Joe "Yes, this uiersitys
really going places. This new
building outranks any theater
I've ever seen!"
Andy "Yes, but just think of
what we'll have in, say 40 years.
Think of the building they'll have
built by then."
Joe "I'll say! This university's
really going places!"
Scene two. The Temple theater
1949.
The "final" performance of
"Winterset" has just received its
final curtain call. The audience is
leaving the auditorium. The ac
tors are removing their makeup.
Two elderly men, about 62, com
ment as they pass through the
exit.
Joe "What a dump, a fire
trap." Andy "Delorable place! Must
be the worst in the country!"
Joe "What's happened to this
university? This theater is in ter
rible shape."
Andy "Yes. Remember back in
1907, how proud we were of the
new Temple building."
Joe "That was in 1907! What's
happened?"
o
TO ANSWER best Joe's ques
tion, a survey of the situation is
in order. A trip through the Tem
ple theater is not the colorful and
intriguing experience that it used
to be. Today, instead of behold
ing a brightly-lighted, clean thea
ter buzzing with industry, there
is only the gloomy shadow of
bleak idleness.
Walking down the creeking
aisle, the auditorium visitor is first
impressed by the lack of activity.
But then, after a closer survey al
of specific theater areas, the rea
son is clear for this inactivity.
Generally, the auditorium is in
lousy condition.
So, students, put on your walk
mg shoes and let's begin our
Temple tour.
mi- iK&r specuic spot we
will visit is that mass of lumber
and nails known as the "steel
staircase." To be sure, the stairs
are not made of steel. The metallic
reference stems from an admin
istration article a few years back
stating that the University thea
ter had just constructed a modern
"steel staircase."
Picking wooden splinters from
our fingers, we enter the mir
rored chamber, the makeup room.
The makeup room recalls a lost
era.
Along the walls, above the mir
rors, photos of past theater suc
cesses offer a reminder of the
University theater of other years.
Irom the makeup room we
tramp up the stairs to the balcony.
Still littered with programs from
"Winterset," the balcony displays
reason alone for the building con
demnation. Above our heads, the
paint curls as it peels off. There
is a slight sprinkle outside and
soon we see the first signs of
water trickling through the cracks
in the ceiling.
Glancing to the right and left,
inadequate exits blot our vision.
The wooden stairs, complete with
no banisters, only add to the title
of "firetrap."
FINALLY, we end our tour on
main stage. The gross inadequa
cies of the auditorium are most
sharply pointed out before the
footlights.
We first pull down the asbestos
The Steel Staircase
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if
INITIALED AND SCARRED through 45 years of theatrical per
formances, the rickety backstage stairs offer little in modern
American architecture. To the left of the stairs at the foot of the
picture rests the newly-innovated theatre switchboard.
Ceiling Dripping . . .
'
to catch the rain leaking
GAYLORD MARR adjusts a bucket
through one of many cracks in the auditorium ceiling. The second
oldest university theater in the country, the Temple was built in
1904. Watch falling plaster, Gay!
curtain. Labeled "fireproof by
theater optimists, the curtain
would at best be a mere delayer
in case of a serious blaze. Patched
and repatched, its usefulness
seems to have been outlived.
But from the shabby curtain,
peeling ceiling and hazardous
staircases, our eyes fall on the sev
eral well-planned and expensive
improvements that the theater ha
financed.