Iola’s Grand Theatre was an upscale venue for actors at the turn of the 20th Century. With a seating capacity of 1,200 and a spacious stage, the opera house was a frequent stop for dramatic performances as well as vaudeville and medicine shows. RHOADS teaches theater at Wichita State University. She attended Southwestern College in Winfield, where she majored in history, and Emporia State University, where she received a master’s degree in theater.
“As grand as it seems, the actors maintained a grueling schedule,” said Jane Rhoads, in her presentation Tuesday evening at the Iola Public Library.
Oftentimes, the theater troupes would perform “one-nighters,” where they gave only one performance in a town before moving on to the next venue the following day.
Records gleaned from a troupe’s schedule show 35 performances in 33 days with a repertoire of 15 plays — “from ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ to Shakespeare,” Rhoads said.
Still, for some, the allure of the world of entertainment overrode any such hardships.
Her research of Fred Stone, a native of Wellington, quotes him as saying, “the idea of being paid to have fun is new to me,” having grown up on a farm. Stone dove headlong into learning circus acts and eventually became a Broadway star.
Rhoads gave highlights of the actors’ lives including Eddie Foy, Louie Lord and Louis Cosgrave.
Theatrical troupes typically traveled by train, Rhoads said, but some were forced to provide their own means of transportation by wagon, managing 10-15 miles a day.
“Some nights they could expect $5 or $10 in business. If money wasn’t to be had, they’d also accept food. Sometimes a ticket office would look more like a grocery store because of patrons paying with potatoes, carrots, or other produce,” she said.
The heyday for vaudeville was 1880-1910.
During that period Iola sported three opera houses at various times. In 1907, its population was 11,000 and people flocked to the theater in droves.
When troupes set down for a week or so, they typically performed a different play a night, Rhoads said. “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” was the most famous production of the time, she said.
Of course any mention of vaudeville around these parts has to include mention of Buster Keaton, the silent film great who was born in Piqua in 1895.
Rhoads told of Buster and his family’s vaudeville routine with Dr. Hill’s Medicine Show. Also on board were Harry Houdini and his wife, Bess. The families could sing, act and dance in addition to being talented acrobats and for Houdini, an escape artist.
Her book, “Kansas Opera Houses: Actors & Community Events, 1855-1925,” was named a 2009 Kansas Notable Book.
Rhoads’ presentation was part of the Speakers Series and was sponsored by the Kansas Humanities Council and Friends of the Iola Public Library.
Entertaining was their trade
