Delaware Children's Theatre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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New Century Club
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The front of the theatre
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 Location in Delaware
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1014 Delaware Avenue, Wilmington, Delaware |
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| Area | Cool Springs neighborhood |
| Built | 1893 |
| Architect | Minerva Parker Nicholas |
| Architectural style | Colonial revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 83001336 |
| Added to NRHP | 1983-06-16 |
The Delaware Children's Theatre (often called DCT) is a special community theatre located in Wilmington, Delaware, USA. It's a place where young actors can shine and families can enjoy live shows. The theatre group performs inside a very old and important building called the New Century Club.
About the Theatre Company
The Delaware Children's Theatre started in 1973. Its first show was Pinocchio. The group was originally known as the Children's Repertory Theatre of Wilmington.
This theatre is a community theatre. This means that most of the actors and helpers are volunteers. They give their time to make the shows happen. The theatre sells tickets to its shows. It also gets help from the Delaware Division of the Arts. This money helps cover the costs of running the theatre.
A famous actor named John Gallagher, Jr. once performed here. He played Tom Sawyer as a child actor. Later, he went on to perform on Broadway and won a Tony Award.
The Historic Building
The theatre company performs in the historic New Century Club building. This building was constructed in 1893. The New Century Club group used it until 1975.
After that, other groups used the building. The Delaware Dinner Theatre and the Delaware Ballet Company were there. Then, in 1982, the Delaware Children's Theatre moved in.
Building Design
A talented architect named Minerva Parker Nichols designed the building. She was one of the first female architects. The building is in the Colonial Revival style. It has special Palladian windows and a unique gambrel roof.
The building was used as a clubhouse. It also had a theatre space. This theatre hosted many traveling shows. Important speakers also gave talks there. These speakers included a future president, Woodrow Wilson.
Women's History
The New Century Club building is very important for history. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is recognized for its role in the women's rights movement.
The New Century Club was a group of women. They were dedicated to making society better. They worked on charity projects. They also strongly supported women's right to vote.
Many notable women were members of the Club. Emily P. Bissell was one member. She led campaigns against tuberculosis for the Red Cross. A state hospital is named after her. Another member was Emalea Pusey Warner. She worked hard to get public vocational education started. A local elementary school is named in her honor.
Other New Century women's clubs were formed nearby. These were in places like Milford and Newark, Delaware. There were also clubs in Pennsylvania.
See also
