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The Ramsdell Theatre is a historic playhouse and opera house in downtown Manistee, Michigan, built in 1902 - 1903 by local lawyer and philanthropist Thomas Jefferson Ramsdell.〔(The Ramsdell Theatre and Hall historical synopsis )〕〔 It is located at the corner of First and Maple Streets. It is a Michigan Historic Building〔 serving as a cultural center for Western Michigan.〔(Ramsdell Theatre: Past, Present & Future )〕 The exterior is a classic Colonial design of red brick with six large columns supporting the portico over the main entrance to the theatre. The Ramsdell Theatre and the adjoining assembly hall called Ramsdell Great Hall are distinct buildings from each other, although built at the same time.〔 Solon Spencer Beman, the prominent Chicago architect and builder of Pullman, was contracted by Ramsdell to design and build the community cultural center.〔 The theatre features a double balcony upstairs and private viewing boxes along the main floor. Its original seating capacity was 1200, however has been cut back to 462 today for fire safety. It has four boxes, two on each side of the stage end and two in the lower balcony. The building has a hipped roof, denticulated modillion cornice, pedimented center pavilion, portico Doric columns, round arched entrance, ornamental brick panels, and dome murals.〔 The most striking feature of the green and gold interior is the horseshoe balcony supported by numerous pillars which extend to the tin plated ceiling.〔 The theatre was comparable to the best opera and vaudeville houses in the country at the turn of the century when it was constructed.〔 The stage measures deep and wide. The gilded proscenium arch is wide. The gridiron is above the stage while the two fly galleries are almost about the stage. In addition, there is a paint gallery that is above the stage floor. This enables artists to paint scenery cloths while viewing them vertically. The theatre was proclaimed "acoustically perfect" when it was built.〔 The interior decoration was completed by some very famous artists in their own right. The famed theatrical artist Walter Burridge, scenic artist who painted sets for ''The Wizard of Oz'', painted the front drop curtain entitled ''A Grove Near Athens'' that is still being put in use today.〔〔〔(Manistee History - Spirit of the woods )〕 Frederic Winthrop Ramsdell, Ramsdell’s son painted the two lunettes in the lobby.〔 They were the lavish dome in the house depicting Venus riding her chariot through the heavens, surrounded by cherubs.〔 There is a gilded proscenium besides these original murals that bedeck the dome.〔(Authentically Manistee has the finest collection of historical buildings of Michigan, page 1 )〕 ==Early history== Construction began on the building in 1901 after the two previous Manistee opera houses were destroyed by fire.〔〔 The first Scandinavian Opera House was built by the Scandinavian Society "Nordisk Fremskridts Forening" for the purpose of debates, music, and dramatics. It was built in 1876 and burned in 1882. The Scandinavians built a new Opera House in 1883 and it also burned in 1900.〔 The third opera house built by Ramsdell cost over $100,000 in the currency of over a century ago.〔 This is the structure that still stands and is being used today as the Ramsdell Theatre and Hall.〔〔Dufresne, Jim, ''Michigan off the Beaten Path - A Guide To Unique Places'', The Globe Pequot Press (1988), p. 67-68, ISBN 0-87106-791-9〕 The early years after preopening in the later part of 1902 with a ball by the Manistee Retail Clerk’s Union were quite impressive. It showed that the arts were accepted in this small lumber lawless town. It officially opened on September 4, 1903, with the performance of ''A Chinese Honeymoon''.〔Royce, Julie Albrecht , ''Traveling Michigan's Sunset Coast'', p. 416 - 417, Dog Ear Publishing (2007), ISBN 1-59858-321-2〕 Twenty-five more plays were performed in 1903 with a record 53 plays presented in 1904.〔 Ramsdell leased the theatre to the Western theatre Association of Chicago in 1909 which was terminated in 1912. The plays and shows averaged around 40 each year while they were in production.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ramsdell Theatre」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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