Since the COVID-19 epidemic has left us without much in the way of theatre news in Huntington, it seems like a good time to revisit our History of Theatre in Huntington series, first written when this blog was young, and updated a few times over the years.
In thinking about theatre here in Huntington, I often think about the history of it. As far as I know, no complete history of local theatre has ever been assembled - and there's not much to be found on the subject on the Internet.
Touring shows have probably been presented in Huntington since the city was founded, and certainly city schools have put on shows since the first teacher or parent volunteered to take on the challenge. (I've seen a very old photo of Elementary kids wearing overalls and presenting The Mikado - I'd pay good money to see that show!)
The Internet reveals that the newest section of Marshall’s Old Main - the part with the auditorium in it - was built in 1907, and no doubt the students started staging shows there not long after. Although I don't have any research to back it up (and I trust you'll correct me if I'm wrong, dear reader), it seems safe to assume that Marshall has the longest continuing tradition of putting on shows in Huntington.
Assuming they've averaged four shows a year for most of those years, that's over 400 shows (at a very rough estimate) that the school has staged in the 113 years since.
I have wonderful memories of seeing great shows in that auditorium. When I was a student in the late ‘70s, one of the outstanding performers was a guy named Joe Johns, who is well known today for his work as a news reporter on CNN (and NBC before that). Perhaps Marshall's most famous acting alumni are the Oscar-winning Brad Dourif and "Two and a Half Men" star Conchata Ferrell (and Billy Crystal attended for a semester). Actually, my hero Soupy Sales is probably the most famous, though I'm not sure if he (or Crystal) ever acted on the Marshall stage.
There are many other alumni who are actively working now in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, DC, as well as others traveling the country in touring shows.
These days Marshall has a new theater, and it’s a beauty. The Joan C. Edwards Performing Arts Center is a state of the art facility, and the Department of Theatre uses it to maximum effect. The shows they’ve staged in recent years certainly live up to (and often surpass) the ones from the past. They stage at least four shows a year, many of them directed by professors Jack Cirillo or Leah Turley - and they do amazing work.
They do a great mix of classic theatre, modern plays, musicals and almost every year they tackle a Shakespeare play, like the excellent Midsummer Night's Dream or The Taming of the Shrew - you owe it to yourself to see these.
If you’re not checking these out on a regular basis, you’re missing some excellent work - not to mention the chance to see the potential stars of the future!
By the way, Marshall Department of Theatre also has an excellent history archive on its website, with photos from many shows and lots more information - check it out right here.
So I'm assuming Marshall has been putting on shows the longest - although certainly the local high schools are also in the running, although their output has been sporadic over the years. So who's next on the longest-running list?
That's the topic of the next post, which will cover The Musical Arts Guild.
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