High Drama: Colorado's Historic Theatres

Barrett, Daniel & Beth R.

ISBN 10: 1932738185 / ISBN 13: 9781932738186

Published by Western Reflections Publishing Company, Montrose, CO, 2005

About this Item

immaculate and unread. 205p. w/index Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall.

Seller Inventory # 21788

Bibliographic Details

• Title: High Drama: Colorado's Historic Theatres
• Publisher: Western Reflections Publishing Company, Montrose, CO
• Publication Date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1932738185
• ISBN 13: 9781932738186
• Binding: Cloth
• Illustrator: B&W Photographs & Drawings; One Folded Map
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine (in mylar)
• Signed: Signed by Author
• Book Type: Hard Cover
• Seller catalogs:
  • Colorado

About this title

Synopsis

Used item in good condition. In Stock. Used books may not include companion materials, may have some shelf wear, may contain highlighting/notes, may not include CDs. Will be shipped from US. Excellent Customer Service.

From the Inside Flap

Beth and Daniel Barrett give us a wonderful overview of Colorado s theatrical legacy, which is as rich as the state s fabled mining history, and not surprisingly the two are related. As Colorado settlements grew more permanent they sought to provide a modicum of culture and sophistication for their residents by establishing drama, singing, and lecture groups, as well as hosting touring entertainment. Every potential city needed a large theatre as a symbol of wealth and refinement. With the coming of the railroad, the rough mountain camps were introduced to the golden age of touring theatre groups. Theatregoers in Colorado were able to see some of the greatest actors of the age. Lawrence Barrett, Otis Skinner, Helena Modjeska, and Sarah Bernhardt all appeared before rapt audiences. Shakespeare was performed more often than any other playwright. Melodrama was a favorite with the audience, as were sensation dramas. Musical entertainment and grand opera often filled the stage. Less weighty fare included minstrels, vaudeville, and burlesque.Ironically, most of the theatres that survive today are in small mountain towns that were the hardest hit by the economic downturn at the end of the nineteenth century. The state s largest cities lost almost all their historic theatres to urban renewal and public apathy. The Barretts have selected representative theatres from across the state some still standing and some long gone.