Early Theater in Tallahassee

A history of Florida’s capital city shows the first theatrical entertainment for its citizens began in 1857, when Tallahassee became a regular stop in the schedules of various road shows, usually circuses and minstrel shows. The first theater in Tallahassee was built in 1874 on the northeast corner of Adams and Jefferson Streets, and was known as Gallie’s Hall, later named the Tallahassee Opera House. In 1890, the building was sold to James Munro and renamed Munro’s Opera House.

Ending the 36-year monopoly of the Opera House was the plan when a 1,200-seat auditorium was constructed at Leon High School. This plan was dashed in 1911 when the courts rules that public school buildings could not be leased for amusement purposes (Weekly True Democrat, September 8, 1911).

Governor Albert W. Gilchrist was a strong supporter of theater. In 1910, he acted the title role in “The Reverie of a Bachelor,” a fund-raising project to build the Woman’s Club and, in 1912, dedicated the Capital City Theater (later known as Daffin’s Theater) on the site of the city’s only cotton warehouse (the north side of College Avenue between Monroe and Adams Streets).

The first play in Tallahassee to include the name “Little Theater” was probably the 1928 Business and Professional Woman’s Club production of “Lightin,” which included future governor LeRoy Collins in the cast. Another effort to establish community theater in Tallahassee came in 1937 when the Tallahassee Little Theater Guild was organized on February 1. Shortly after the group was formed, Tallahassee’s mayor proclaimed the first week of May as Little Theater Week “for the purpose of officially encouraging and increasing the membership of the Little Theater Group, and of stimulating public interest in the activity of Tallahassee’s Little Theater.” In its first season, the group presented three evenings of one-act plays. Its first full length play, “Post Road,” ran for one evening (April 19, 1938) at the Augusta Conrad Little Theater on the Florida State University campus. Later that year, “Aaron Slick from Punkin Crick” and “Cradle Song” each received two performances. In 1939, Farris Bryant was featured in the play “Fresh Fields” and received the following notice in the May 4, 1939 edition of the Democrat.   "Farris Bryant, a newcomer to the Little Theater here, seems to have something which makes him an ideal leading man. He is quite easy on the eyes and his is a competent actor."

When he returned as governor, his daughter Adair was an active member of Tallahassee Little Theater. After 1940, community theater in Tallahassee was relatively dormant until a reorganized Tallahassee Little Theater presented “Star Bound” on March 26, 1945 at the Leon High School auditorium. The play was sponsored by the city recreation department and benefited the Red Cross. “Star Bound” would be the last play produced under the old Tallahassee Little Theater banner. The cash balance from this one activity was later transferred to the current Little Theater, organized in 1949.

Submitted by: Richard R. Sherwin, 616 Acorn Grove Ct., Tallahassee, FL 32312, risher1@aol.com

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