The Imperial Theatre, in Saint John,

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

, was designed by Philadelphia architect Albert Westover and built in 1912 by the Imperial Theatre by the Keith-Albee-Orpheum Corporation

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

chain of

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

and their Canadian subsidiary, the Saint John Amusements Company Ltd. It opened to the public on September 19, 1913. One of Canada's first comedy troupes, The Dumbbells staged several of their first shows there. Many early stars of

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

had their films played in the Imperial, such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton,

Fatty Arbuckle Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (; March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked w ...

Greta Garbo Greta Garbo (born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson; 18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990) was a Swedish-American actress. Regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses, she was known for her melancholic, somber persona, her film portrayals of tragic ch ...

, and

Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.Obituary '' Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influential film c ...

. The theatre was designed as a modern adaptation of the

Italian Renaissance The Italian Renaissance ( it, Rinascimento ) was a period in Italian history covering the 15th and 16th centuries. The period is known for the initial development of the broader Renaissance culture that spread across Europe and marked the trans ...

, and was used both for live vaudeville acts as well as "talkies". In 1929, it was renamed the Capitol Theatre, and like most vaudeville houses across the continent, became a cinema. From 1957 to 1982, the Imperial Theatre was used as a meeting space by the Full Gospel Assembly. In 1982 the Imperial was abandoned by the religious group.

Renaissance of the Imperial Theatre

In the mid-1980s, a grass-roots campaign began to save the theatre began with a $1 down-payment (on a $1 million option to purchase the building, with the balance due within one year) by a local taxi driver. By the deadline, over $1.1 million had been raised, most of which was contributed by the citizens of Saint John. This is the reason for the high interest in the Imperial - every individual in the city owns a part of it. Seats in the theatre have the names of contributors. The theatre has been restored to its 1913 glory, with the original mouldings and intricate plasterwork having been repaired or replicated. The interior of the Imperial has been faithfully re-created. The Imperial has been designated a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...

Technical details

Imperial Theatre is a fully restored Victorian proscenium arch-type facility. The arch is a spectacular architectural feat, and frames the stage beautifully from all viewing positions. STAGE DIMENSIONS Proscenium arch width: 42’ - 6’ height: 26’ - 2’ (at centre line) Curtain line to upstage wall: 42’ - 0’ downstage apron: 3’ - 0’ edge of pit elevator: 11’ - 0’ Centre-line to stage left clear: 48’ - 6’" stage right clear: 38’ - 3" Wing free height up stage left: 21’ - 6" down stage left: 27’ - 5" stage right: 22’

References

External links

Imperial Theatre site

City of Saint John Historic Sites
{{NHSC Theatres in New Brunswick Buildings and structures in Saint John, New Brunswick Music venues in New Brunswick National Historic Sites in New Brunswick Italianate architecture in Canada Tourist attractions in Saint John, New Brunswick