Macauley's Theatre was the premier theatre in

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during the late 19th and early 20th century. It opened on October 18, 1873 on the north side of Walnut Street between Third and Fourth Streets, and was founded by Bernard "Barney" Macauley, a prominent Louisville actor since the 1850s. The theater was designed by architect John B. McElfatrick. It opened with the comedy '' Extremes''. Debts forced him to sell the playhouse to his brother John in 1879. The theatre was a success under John Macauley, featuring the top actors of the day, such as

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Edwin Booth Edwin Thomas Booth (November 13, 1833 – June 7, 1893) was an American actor who toured throughout the United States and the major capitals of Europe, performing Shakespearean plays. In 1869, he founded Booth's Theatre in New York. Some theatri ...

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and showman

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. Louisvillian Mary Anderson made her debut at the theatre in 1875 while the actress

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and her company appeared there four times between 1876 and 1879. With changing times, Macauleys began to occasionally show motion pictures in the 1910s. It continued to serve as Louisville's premier live theatre however, until it was razed in 1925. The final performance was of '' The Naughty Wife'' on August 29, 1925. Theatre in Louisville lived on at the 1,400-seat

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, which opened in 1925 and rechristened as The Macauley Theatre from 1971 to 1998. Before closing its doors in 1998, the world renowned jam band Phish played two different shows across a four-month period in 1993, which is unheard of in today's music wheelhouse. Macauley's lobby was decorated with pictures of the famous actors and actresses who had performed there, many with personal inscriptions and dedications. When the theatre closed, these were donated to the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...

, which still includes them in their archives.

References

External links

Macauley's Theatre Collection at the University of LouisvillePreservation Focus: Theaters: Macauley's Theatre
Includes history and multiple photographs

Includes a photograph {{Coord, 38, 15, 04.9, N, 85, 45, 24.0, W, type:landmark_region:US-KY, display=title Arts venues in Louisville, Kentucky Demolished buildings and structures in Louisville, Kentucky Theatres in Kentucky Demolished theatres in the United States 1873 establishments in Kentucky 1925 disestablishments in Kentucky Buildings and structures demolished in 1925