Lakewood Theater (Madison, Maine) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lakewood Theater
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The main theater
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 Location in Maine
Location in the United States
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| Location | 76 Theatre Road, Madison, Maine |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1898 |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 75000111 |
| Added to NRHP | June 18, 1975 |
The Lakewood Theater is a special place for plays and shows. It's located at 76 Theatre Road in Madison, Maine, right by Lake Wesserunsett. This theater started way back in 1898, making it one of the oldest summer theaters in the whole United States.
For many years, especially in the 1920s and 1930s, it was a big stop for shows before they went to Broadway. Today, local groups like Curtain Up Enterprises put on plays there. The main building used to be a religious meeting hall from 1882, but it was changed a lot in 1925-1926 to become the theater we see today. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 because of its important history.
The Theater's Story
The Lakewood Theater is on the western shore of Lake Wesserunsett. It's a large, two-and-a-half-story building made of wood. It has a classic style called Colonial Revival. There's a big porch in front with square posts and a cool diamond pattern railing.
The land where the theater stands was once part of a bigger vacation spot. This area was created by companies that ran trolley cars. They wanted people to use their trolleys to visit fun places. In 1882, a religious meeting hall was built here. This building is now the main part of the theater.
In 1884, the building became a skating rink. Then, in 1898, it started being used as a theater. The theater became very popular in 1901 when Herbert Swett took over. He worked for 20 years to make the theater even better. By the mid-1920s, the theater looked much like it does now. It became a major place for new plays to be tested before going to Broadway.
After World War II, this type of show became less common. Since then, the theater has mostly hosted plays that travel from place to place. Many famous actors have performed on its stage. These include Vincent Price, Ethel Barrymore, and George M. Cohan.
A writer named John B. Hymer was known as the "mayor" of Lakewood. He worked with another writer, Samuel Shipman, there. John B. Hymer also built a house called Colony House in 1929. His son, Warren Hymer, stayed with him and later became a movie actor.
Why Lakewood Theater is Special
Long ago, around the year 1900, many trolley car companies built fun places for people to visit. They wanted more people to ride their trolleys. These parks were often in beautiful spots, like at the end of a trolley line. This was a time when trolley cars were a very popular way to travel for fun.
One such park was built in 1895 at Lakewood Grove, by Lake Wesserunsett. The Somerset Traction Company created it. In 1898, they opened the Lakewood Theater. Between 1925 and 1941, this theater became the most important summer theater in the country.
Herbert L. Swett helped the theater become famous. In 1901, he became the manager. He worked hard to improve the theater and its shows. For two decades, it was the top summer theater in America. It had the longest history of continuous summer seasons. From the 1920s until World War II, it was the main place to test new plays for Broadway. People even called it "Broadway in Maine."
The theater stopped putting on shows for a short time in 1943 and 1944 because of the war. But from 1945 until now, the Lakewood Theater changed how it worked. Instead of having the same group of actors all season, it started having new actors and shows each week.
The theater and the resort area around it worked together. The theater made the resort special, and the resort helped bring great actors to Maine. This partnership made Lakewood famous with the press and theater experts for many years.
Many famous people from the American stage have been part of Lakewood's history. In 1925, Howard Lindsay became the director. He used his talent and connections in New York to make the theater known across the country. Stars like Dorothy Stickney and Walter Hampden performed there. Later, George M. Cohan, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Vincent Price, and Ethel Barrymore also acted with the theater's company.
Lakewood was also where many plays had their very first performances before becoming big hits on Broadway. One famous play that started there was "Life With Father."
In recent years, many stars from Broadway and Hollywood have performed at Lakewood. The old trolley cars are gone now, but the lights at Lakewood Theater still shine. They continue the amazing theater tradition that began so long ago.
Many people believe Lakewood Theater truly deserves its reputation as the first summer theater in America. It helped start a theater tradition that is now a big part of American culture.
See also
