The History and Construction of Thalian Hall

Physically its difficult to overestimate its importance in the citys downtown. The building was constructed on a rise above the Cape Fear River and according to Tony Rivenbark Thalian Halls executive director it stands “like an Acropolis over the city.” In a town of one- and two-story buildings he continues “it had to be phenomenal to the community to watch this building being constructed.”

The origins of the building can be found in the minutes of the Town Commissioners in May 1853 but the references are at best cryptic. What would eventually become Thalian was first referred to by commissioners who appointed a committee to seek a suitable site for a “public building to be used as a Town Hall.” No mention was made of a theater then since Wilmington already had a performance space. Known as Innes Academy it was a modest building that occupied the spot where Thalian Hall now stands and it was the towns principal theatrical venue for more than five decades.

Its not clear what sparked the desire to replace Innes Academy but Rivenbark has his own opinion. Although careful to state that his theory cannot be fully documented Rivenbark tells the story of a visit to Wilmington in 1850 by the “Swedish nightingale ” Jenny Lind. On her way to Charleston to perform Ms. Linds train went through Wilmington. Learning of the presence of such an illustrious star the towns prominent citizens met the train with flowers in their arms and asked if she might perform here. Her manager asked the size of the towns theater and when told the halls capacity he replied “Gentlemen my orchestra would fill a large part of that space.” Ms. Lind continued on to Charleston leaving Rivenbark conjectures consternation in her wake.

“You can just see people talking at the saloon or at the gentlemens club ” Rivenbark laughs “or after church at St. James and saying we need a decent hall here. We missed out.” Innes Academy didnt embody Wilmingtons vision of itself. This Rivenbark explains “was the largest city in the state and it was the most prosperous and the most up-to-date. It was a status symbol at that time to have an opera house.” Wilmington he believes “had a sophisticated viewpoint.” The town was a port and a rail center (trains were the eras principal mode of transportation) and the citizens “had a view not only to New York but also to Europe.” Even Thalians Italianate style reflected current architectural tastes.

The actual construction took more than two years and early in 1858 with scaffolding still surrounding the building Thalian hosted its first performance: a recital by Mr. Frensleys Dancing School. The official opening was six months later in October of that year when Marchants Stock Company of Charleston performed two popular plays of the era.

Marchants company remained in Wilmington into November 1858 performing a different play almost nightly at Thalian Hall. In December the Thalian Association (whose name is still attached to a local community theater) presented two popular plays including Box and Cox a farce that had its most recent revival in 2008 as part of the Halls sesquicentennial. Thalian Halls first season saw further amateur productions more stock performances operas presented by the New Orleans English Opera Company and appearances by the Martinetti and Blondin Troupe which offered comic pantomimes and dances and featured Charles Blondin a tightrope walker who became famous after crossing the gorge below Niagara Falls.

Thalians second season opened with a minstrel show followed by another stock company and a 40-member troupe that presented a week of plays and spectacles. No amateur productions were mounted that year but operas and road companies continued to visit including Signor Donettis troupe of “Educated Dogs Monkeys and Goats.”

They were the first animals to appear on Thalian Halls stage but certainly not the last. In 1869 actress Kate Raymond scantily clad rode her horse Black Bess across the stage in an adaptation of Byrons epic poem Mazeppa. In the 1890s an arctic play featured reindeer sled dogs three live bears and two St. Bernard dogs. Trained dogs often appeared and in 1909 a circus play included three ponies a trained donkey and a horse.

As interests changed so did Thalians offerings. The mid 19^th century had seen the rise of panoramas and the Hall hosted Dr. Beales Wonderful Panopticon or Life-Moving Mechanical Exhibition of the War in India and the Sepoy Rebellion. It consisted of 80 000 models of men women horses ships artillery cavalry camels and other animals presumably moving in front of a backdrop of panoramic paintings. The Daily Journal described the event: “The aquatic scenery with ships and steamers moving about is truly remarkable as are also the battle pieces with vast number of figures in actual march motion cannon firing etc.”

Later another panorama drew crowds to the Hall. It was Rivenbark says “New York City on a giant canvas.” Spools on either side of the stage turned 18 000 feet of canvas revealing views of the buildings on more than 50 streets from Broadway to the Hudson River. The entire presentation took nearly two hours and apparently created the sensation of actually walking down the depicted streets.

As the Civil War approached Wilmington turned away from amusements and focused more on the conflict to come but Thalian Hall continued to play a central role in the life of the city hosting political meetings at which the coming clash was undoubtedly a topic of discussion.

During the war Wilmington grew. Rob Zapple president of Thalian Halls Board of Trustees observes that this “was a blockade runners town.” With money abundant and entertainment in demand the Hall stayed busy except during the yellow fever epidemic of 1862. “Percentagewise probably the most active period of this theater was during the Civil War ” Zapple says.

Within a week of the towns occupation by Union troops The Hall reopened. Production initially thrived but by 1867 both the town and the Hall were struggling. Eventually John T. Ford a theater manager from Baltimore agreed to handle Thalian and added it to his touring circuit. As the towns economy recovered so did the Halls fortunes and once again stock companies hit plays from New York and international performers visited.

During this time political meetings continued to occur at Thalian. The Democratic Clubs were addressed from Thalians stage and blacks came to hear (according to a newspaper report) “the radical candidates.”

According to Zapple while Thalian Hall was certainly segregated “We know that Wilmington up until the Civil War really up until Reconstruction and even during Reconstruction was one of the most integrated towns around.” And although some separation had to be maintained both Zapple and Rivenbark believe that economics were the deciding factor. “In the end ” Rivenbark says “its all about making money and selling tickets.” Zapple agrees. “Money talks in theater.”

When artists appeared who appealed primarily to a black audience Rivenbark believes that “they would put all the black people downstairs and put the white people in the balcony.” Looking around the Gallery (upper balcony) Zapple observes “Everyone says Oh this is where the slaves sat. That simply is not true. There may have been some slaves that did sit here but this is where the working class [sat] where the cheap seats were.” When Booker T. Washington spoke in 1910 Rivenbark says “they basically divided the house in half; it had a center aisle so they put the blacks on one side and the whites on the other.”

A variety of black entertainers appeared. Musical savant Thomas “Blind Tom” Wiggins (also called Blind Tom Bethune) played the piano at Thalian appearing before the war as a slave and afterwards as a free man. Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones an opera singer and vaudevillian who was known as “The Black Patti” (referring to a famous Italian opera singer of the day Adelina Patti) also performed there and the theater has hosted classical singers Marian Anderson and Caterina Jarboro. Local black amateurs have a continuing history at Thalian. In the 1890s the Acme Club which consisted of 48 black musicians appeared and The Willis Richardson Players (named for a black playwright born in Wilmington) continues to perform there.

In 1870 a small group of men used Thalian to test the response of the community to blacks sitting in sections designated for whites. When they were ejected they sued the theater. The judge who heard the case chastised the blacks for asserting their civil rights “by resorting to violence.” But he also ruled that the blacks were “entitled to accommodation and privileges in this theater equal to those enjoyed by other persons.”

Clearly times were changing and Thalian Hall would change with them.