Rhode Center for the Arts

<img src=“http://thumb12.webshots.net/t/73/73/5/0/1/2981500010087069752qgYohO_th.jpg” alt=“1927 – Gateway Theatre”>This is the opening-week ad in the Kenosha Evening News:

Been finding some interesting things. I found a book called “Kenosha on the Go” I believe is the name and it had a picture of the 6th Ave. (Main St.) entrance. The picture was taken in the early 30s and at that time it WAS being used for that purpose as on both sides of the door in the center you could see movie posters on the walls. Also, within the auditorium on the west side you can find a wall that seems to be hollow indicating it was added after the original construction and would indicate the entry to that part of the building. Still trying to track down more information as to when it was split off from the theater and sold.

Also, while going over some old articles. I was shown an article talking about the building of what was to be the Gateway Theatre and it made mention of plans to put in a rooftop garden, to my knowledge, that never came to pass. The company also at that time was called the “Kenosha New Orpheum Theater Company”.

I plan to make a trip to the library to dig through the old newspapers soon! See what else I can find!

As for pics of the fountain and the interior of the intact auditorium, the ONLY pictures I currently have access to is the pics from around the time of the grand opening.

Speaking of! Here is an article I found from Dec. 27, 1927. View link talking about the grand opening of the Gateway.

I believe it was installed when the theater first opened in Dec. 1927. I’m not sure the exact date it was removed but my understanding is that it was badly damaged and would have been very costly to repair. I was saddened to hear that as from what I have seen in pictures, it was a very unique piece, I wish it was still there.

Yes it is a July 2008 photo and from the looks of it, only about a week or so old. I’d place the date of that photo to be about July 14th, 2008. Very nice pic, to boot!

Sorry if that came across as defensive. Wasn’t the intent at all. Just wanted to clarify the situation as it stands. Previous owners were not very kind to the place and did a lot of damage in the name of “renovation”. The renovations we are doing in there now are easily reversed should the possibility for restoration ever occur.

The West Auditorium is to be mixed-use. Children’s theatre, stand-up comedy, musical acts, and eventually the ability to show movies again. Seating in the West Auditorium right now is about 250 permanent seats with open space between the seats and stage that could be used for cabaret seating, open space for rugs for children to sit on, dancing space, etc.

Seating in the Donna Wolf Steigerwaldt auditorium is about 400. That is our main auditorium mostly for live theatre productions.

As for the organ? I wish I knew what happened to it, but there are really no signs it ever had one, from what I seen, there is nothing left behind of it, just an empty organ loft. Is there anything I should be looking for that might indicate where it migth have resided or any of its parts?

Well, we really don’t have a choice about keeping it twinned, to put it back as one theatre would literally take millions to remove the center wall (as it extends from the floor all the way to the domed ceiling) then to remove the drop ceiling, then repair the damage to the domed ceiling, then to remove the fabric on both outside walls and then to restore the walls back to original and then attempt to repair the damage/restore the fake box seats that were tore out from just a couple feet above the drop ceiling years ago.

Then, on top of all that, our scene shop currently occupies half the stage, if it was untwinned, the stage would be fully restored as well, we would need a new home for that. Then, there is the incredibly difficult task of figuring out HOW to fill and make profitable what would then be about an 800 seat venue.

In short, its a very difficult and, at this point, impossible task. However, retaining the 2 venues and making those profitable and viable is much more of an obtainable goal at this point.

In a perfect world, the Rhode Opera House would be restored to its Gateway Theatre glory, this is not, unfortunately, a perfect world.

Wow! Thanks for the great information. I have been trying to hunt down info. on the original Rhode Opera House but not have had much luck. This info. would have covered the 2nd Rhode Opera House, the first burned down in a fire in 1896.

In unrelated news, I just noticed that the website info. listed here is no longer accurate. The current website is now located at rhodeopera.org

I recently saw the blueprints for the theater and made some interesting discoveries! On the original plans the theater was referred to as “Saxe’s Kenosha Theater”. The original plans called for the front sign to say that as well, a rather large vertical sign. Also, though the site just credits George Rapp with the design (for years, we thought it was just George Rapp as well!), the blueprints themselves actually credit both George Rapp and C.W. Rapp for the design on the theater. However, the blueprints don’t seem to include the “gentleman’s entrance”. Perhaps since it wasn’t part of the finished building those plans were not kept. Too bad the design firm itself is long since gone as its very possible copies of those blueprints would have been kept by the design firm itself!

The most exciting thing currently going on in the building is a total renovation of the heating and cooling systems that will utilize the original plenum chambers and basic heating/cooling design of the theater with modern energy-efficient equipment being used. That should all be finished and in place by the end of Sept. 2007. Best part of the whole thing is the building will not need to be damaged in any way for this to occur as original elements of the original system (existing ductwork, etc.) will be used.

It’s an exciting time at the theater right now.

Oh here it is! I just submitted this theater because when I looked under the Rapp and Rapp designed theaters it wasn’t listed! From what I understand about that 6th Ave. Entry, it was designed as another entry and was used for a few years as such until sometime in the 1940s when it was sold off. It was known as either the “gentleman’s entrance” or the “ladies' entrance”. Apparently pics of this do exist, tho, I’ve yet to see them!

Also, it should be stated the original seating was 1250, it seats no where near that now, with the auditorium unfortunately split in half and the balcony no longer being used for seating.

My husband and I recently moved to Kenosha from Chicago. We were thrilled that there is a live theater within walking distance from our home. What are the long term plans with the theater and the venue?

Mo

I wanted to note a little-known fact about this theatre related to me by a long-ago member of the projectionists' union:

He said the original entrance was to be in the 5500 block of Main Street (now Sixth Avenue) but the City wouldn’t allow it so the current Market Street (now 56th Street) location was chosen instead.

It’s true that if you’ll look on the east side of Sixth Avenue, the upper brick and ornamental stone Spanish-deco facade is obviously a Rapp design intended to match the Saxe’s Gateway facade around the corner. But I don’t think the City ever stepped in; I think it’s more likely it was actually designed as a secondary lobby and that Saxe Amusements decided to omit that smaller west lobby from the final design at the last moment for economy purposes. It has always been commercial space (a 1928 photograph shows it as a vacant storefront) but it does line up perfectly with the blank west inner-lobby wall at the Gateway/Rhode.

I hope the mystery will someday be unraveled, but the next time you’re in downtown Kenosha, be sure to see the facade on this almost-lobby for the Saxe’s Gateway Theatre.

I’m a drama student in Kenosha, and I must say the Rhode theatre is quite beautiful. We rent costumes from them for plays at the Tremper High School Auditorium and everytime we go there I always have to stop and look. It’s almost impossible to describe the beauty of the Rhode without having seen it yourself.