The Illinois Theater

1315 North Mattis Avenue,Champaign IL 61821

06 April, 2023

Description

Local theatre historian Perry Morris will present a survey of the history of Urbana’s Illinois Theatre (1908 – 1927). The complex story of the theatre runs from its beginning as a community-wide effort to build a new “opera house” in Urbana, to performances by some of the most recognizable theatrical names of the day, to the ugly last few years when it was owned by the Ku Klux Klan. All phases are covered in this exhibit as history includes events that are quite unpleasant but must not be ignored to fully understand where we came from. This month’s talk will be at the Parkland College Community Education Center, 1315 North Mattis Avenue, Champaign, April 6, 2003, at 7pm.