The Opera Houses of Iowa

The Opera Houses of Iowa explores some little-known and underappreciated treasures of Iowa communities. Now aging apartments, warehouses, run-down movie-theatres, or simply rubble, these buildings were once the heart of community culture, hosting big city productions, sermons, medicine shows, talent contests, and much more.
With tape measure and camera, Professors Glenn and Poole take stock of this rich heritage. Recording facts from seating capacity to scenery, lighting, stage dimensions, opera house personnel, and current use, they catalog over 300 extant and 700 nonextant opera houses.
But their work is more than a record of facts. They explore the historical development of the opera house, its performers and performances, and the cultural mark these structures made on Iowa communities.
Amply illustrated and filled with interesting details, The Opera Houses of Iowa offers a unique retrospective on a fascinating corner of architectural and state history.

George D. Glenn is a professor in the Department of Theatre at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls.