Erie Playhouse
13 W. 10th Street,
Erie,
PA
16501
13 W. 10th Street,
Erie,
PA
16501
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I have been in the Erie Playhouse to see a production, but at the time didn’t realize its Strand history! And I didn’t know that Erie had a Shea’s. There is a Shea’s in Buffalo which has been restored and tours are given.
Information from the “Mystery” Theatres page of the:
Theatre Historical Society of America
IDENTIFIED: Strand Theatre, Erie, Pennsylvania
Response 1
Richard C. Wolfe, owner of the Roxy Theatre in Northampton, Pa., replies that “the Strand is in Erie, Pa. We visited it during the THS 1999 New York State Conclave. It’s now a playhouse just down the street and around the corner from the Warner. The theatre opened, I believe, in 1947, as it was featured in the 1948 Theatre Catalog. The architect was Victor A. Rigaumont. It had 977 seats and was a stadium theatre. It was owned and operated by Warner Bros.”
Response 2
Duane Butler agrees that this is the Strand in Erie, PA and says “it was built by the Stanley-Warner chain. It was a Cinerama theatre from approximately 1962 to 1964, and through the late 60s showed many 70mm roadshows, such as "My Fair Lady.” Through much of this approximate period, it was managed by the late Milford H. “Shorty” Parker. It was bought in the early 70s by the Cinemette Corporation and contiued to show films until 1983. Since 1983, it has been owned by the Erie Playhouse and used for live community theatre productions.
The original name for this theater was the Strand. I believe in the late 50s or early 60s it was Erie’s “cinerama” theater.