Classic Theatre

50sSNIPES on August 6, 2025 at 9:09 am

This started life as the Whiting Theatre, opening on June 26, 1895 by Mr. Newell Whiting who also helped constructed the theater, opening with the Gustave Frohman’s Stock Company’s live presentation of “Men and Women”. The theater was built on the site of a principal hotel that got destroyed by a massive fire on April 2, 1871. The construction of the theater started with a groundbreaking on August 22, 1894, and happened right after Whiting made a proposition to the city council to erect the building and being suitable enough for the purposes of a City Hall and Theater housed in one, providing he could be assured the city would appreciate the move sufficiently to locate its offices therein. Despite not costing less than $9,000, it was erected anyway with an estimate $12,000 in total.

Information about the Whiting Theatre as of 1895 goes as follows: In the size of 50x100ft upon the ground with solid stone walls upon the east and rear, its street front of cream colored brick runs 50ft above the sidewalks. Upon the first front floor are two commodious well-lighted store rooms with plate fronts and hardwood floors. Meanwhile in the northeast corner is a room serving as a purpose of waiting or a checking room. The floors are hard maple throughout and the walls are plastered with adamant thus assuring acoustic properties. There is also a large ventilator in the center of the building insures a constant supply of pure fresh air. The rear of the building contains council rooms, city clerk’s and general city offices. Upon the second floor reached by a wide and roomy entrance over a short flight of oak stairs of wide and easy trend is where the theater is located.

The auditorium of the theater as of 1895 was measured 45x48ft, with the stage floor measuring 25x48ft, stage opening being 15x21ft, and proscenium opening measuring 18x26ft. A total capacity of 950 folding opera seats was presented, with 500 seats in the auditorium itself, 200 seats in the balcony, and 250 seats in a wall-to-wall gallery. Some installations include a fully supply of elegant scenery painted by the scenic studio of Sosman & Landis of Chicago. Four large airy dressing rooms are located beneath the stage, while a baggage room and hoist in the rear added to the conveniences. Lastly, present oil was used for lighting on opening, but electricity was later installed.

On April 3, 1903, the Whiting Theatre was renamed the Davison Theatre. Unfortunately almost three years later, on February 17, 1906, the building was damaged by a large fire. The fire came from some unknown cause on or under the stage of the theater on the second floor occupying the gallery and upper stage fixtures a full third story or more in height. The fire spread upwards and laterally involving the interior wood work of the large auditorium. The first floor, occupied in part by the Democrat Office with its presses, engine, material, and stock, were all destroyed, but the entire equipment and stuff that occupies it were all saved. Luckily enough, the theater had a narrow escape from total destruction. The Davison Theatre reopened several months later.

The Davison Theatre was renamed the Waupun Theatre on November 23, 1926 after extensive remodeling, reopening with the Wisconsin premiere of Bert Roach in “Tin Hats” along with an unnamed travelogue, unnamed comedy, a newsreel, and a special orchestra performance. A lot of installations as of 1926 include cream and ivory ceiling with tan sides and lower portion in stone, ceiling lights being canary with side lights in amber and green, aisles being very wide and new upholstered seats set in rows far enough apart to that a tall man will find complete comfort, a total of three street-level emergency exits, fireproof projection booth constructed from concrete and steel, steel shutters arranged to drop over the projection windows being fitted with fusible supports so that way they will automatically shut tight in case the smallest fire starts inside the booth, updated projection, new wiring system, updated stage with a blue and gold velour drop bearing a gold “W” (for Waupun) with a grand border in blue behind it, a silver curtain forming the picture setting over the screen itself, and both heating and ventilating systems being housed in separate concrete rooms in the basement.

The Waupun Theatre was then renamed the Classic Theatre on May 23, 1929. During its final years of operation, Marcus Theatres was its last operator who also operated the surrounding Ripon and Beaver Dam theaters. Last operated with 400 seats in total, the Classic Theatre closed for the final time on August 5, 1962 with Walt Disney’s “Bon Voyage!”, and was occupied by Clark Oil, who opened its location in the former Classic Theatre building on December 1, 1962.

50sSNIPES on October 25, 2022 at 8:08 pm

Operated from as early as 1929 until 1963.

kencmcintyre on December 20, 2008 at 3:03 pm

The Classic was no longer listed in the IMPA as of 1967, so it must have closed sometime in the previous four years, as it was listed in the 1963 edition.