by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
Despite the prevalence of an Old-World, European style in the San Marco area, two structures near the San Marco Square have a noticeably Art Deco style: Theatre Jacksonville’s Little Theatre and the San Marco Theatre.
The Little Theatre, or Theatre Jacksonville, has been part of the San Marco scene since 1938. Most community theaters in the in U.S. are actually converted spaces made from storefronts or former professional theatre spaces, but The Little Theatre was built especially for Jacksonville’s first community theatre group. The community theatre company was formed in 1919 and got the money for its facility from Carl S. Swisher, cigar magnate and local supporter of the theatre arts here in Jacksonville. It took a little more than ten years from the ground breaking in 1927 for the company to launch their first production in the building. The façade has stayed intact since it was built and it still has the same look that it did all those years ago. The house of the theatre seats 311 people. With good acoustics and intimate space, the performances are easily accessible. Thanks to Carl S. Swisher, the playhouse is owned entirely by Theatre Jacksonville, with no outstanding mortgage.
Strangely enough, the theatre group is a product of WWI, when the War Camp Community Service was created to entertain the servicemen in Jacksonville. After the war, a branch of that organization evolved into The Community Players. The Community Players produced plays and held play readings for the increasing Jacksonville community. In 1926, they joined the nationwide “little theatre” movement, and become The Little Theatre of Jacksonville.
The two story building was designed by Ivan H. Smith. Besides a number of important structures around the state, Smith also designed Jacksonville’s City Hall, the Duval County Courthouse and several JU buildings. In ’91 the Little Theatre was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. After 87 consecutive seasons, it’s one of the oldest continually producing community theatres in the U.S.
Of course every theatre with a history that long comes with a few ghosts. There are rumors that in the lobby stairwell one can often see a faint shadow of a mysterious man in a bowler hat.
The Little Theatre recently upgraded their lobby, making mostly cosmetic changes, replacing the carpeting, wallpaper and light fixtures. The current lobby is in keeping with the Deco style and coloration of the façade of the building.
Also in the Art Deco style is the San Marco Theatre, which offers a different sort of entertainment: movies. Originally the theatre could seat 500 people, but they’ve since put tables next to every seat, taking the seat count down to 222. Other than the seats and a more extensive food prep, everything else is simply a refurbished original, even the wiring. “[We] recently got breakers; it used to be just a fuse box,” said Tim Masset, Manager of the San Marco Theatre.
In the lobby is a piece of film history: a massive and ancient film projector. “Actually,” Masset commented when I marveled at the apparatus “it’s not too much different from what we have up there [in the projection booth] now.”
Also finished in 1938, the San Marco Theatre was designed by nationally recognized architect Roy Benjamin, who also designed Downtown’s Florida Theatre. Instead of sticking with the Italian, Moorish and Spanish influences of San Marco’s Square, he built something that reflected the current trends at the time: Art Deco. David and Sue Blue took over the theatre’s operation in the past decade and worked to restore rather than redecorate.
Jacksonville is lucky that both of these Deco entertainment centers have stayed intact and in use. The Little Theatre is still a popular place for theatre-goes to support community theatre, and the San Marco Theatre often sells out their seats, premiering major motion pictures and midnight movies of artistic, classic and cult films.
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