Theatre Museum of Repertoire Americana
Memorial Day to Labor Day - Thursday, Friday, & Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
CLOSED FROM 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM for Lunch
Other times by appointment
Adults $5.00 per person
Kids 10 and under are free with an adult
Group Tours and Rates are available.
To set up a Group Tour, please call 319-385-8937
Visit the new Theatre Museum website:
www.thetheatremuseum.com
The Show Goes On...
In a time almost forgotten, troupes of performers crisscrossed rural America, presenting repertoire theatre. From the 1850s to the 1950s, five generations reveled in the clean fun and sociable respite offered by these traveling companies. These versatile "troupes" entertained audiences with comedy, farce, Broadway hits, adapted classics, and suspenseful mysteries in settings that ranged from small-town opera houses to empty-lot tent theatres.
Years ago, Neil & Caroline Schaffner started collecting memorabilia from this era of theatrical history. It was from this "seed" collection and the generosity of the Midwest Old Settlers and Threshers Association, Inc. that this remarkable museum was created in 1973 at the crossroads of the Midwest in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Since then, hundreds of troupers and their families have donated artifacts to make this amazing theatrical collection one of the largest of its kind in the United States.
Step Across the Footlights into Our Theatrical Heritage
The Theatre Museum houses a unique memorabilia collection from early American popular entertainment. Priceless stage drops, quaint artifacts, a massive computer cataloged library, scripts, and music scores dating from the 1850s are arrayed for the curious visitor and the dedicated scholar. The photographs show heralds, playbills, scrapbooks, newspapers, costumes, and scenery from touring companies that played in hundreds of American opera houses, town halls, and tent theatres. The collection also includes items from Chautauqua, showboats, and minstrel shows.
National Society for the Preservation of Tent, Folk, and Repertoire Theatre
The National Society was founded to help administer and maintain the Museum. Its purpose is to preserve and perpetuate educational and historical insight, heritage, memorabilia, and culture of tent folk and repertoire theatre and to provide a place for literary endeavors and scholarly research. Memberships to the National Society are $15 for a student, $20 for a single, $30 for a family, $50 for a Actors' Circle, $150 for a Directors' Circle, $500 for a Angel, $1000 for Gabriel Himself, all memberships are per year. Donations are welcome and greatly appreciated.