About The Oldest Theater In America
The oldest playhouse in continuous use in the English-speaking world
A theater is a place or building where live performances are presented to an audience. The word comes from the Greek theatron, meaning "a place for viewing." Performances staged in theaters can include plays, musicals, operas, dance, comedy, and more.
Founded in 1809, the Walnut Street Theatre is America's oldest theater, the Official State Theatre of Pennsylvania, and a National Historic Landmark. It sits at 825 Walnut Street in Philadelphia, and has been in continuous operation for over two centuries.
the Walnut Street Theatre is self-described as America's oldest theater. Penn State University acknowledges it America’s oldest theater. Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission recognizes it as the oldest theater in America and the oldest playhouse in continuous use in the English-speaking world.
The land was sold to Victor Pépin and Jean Baptiste Casmiere Breschard on October 4, 1808, and a theatre called "The New Circus" was built on the site. Their first show was performed on February 2, 1809.
When it was first constructed, the New Circus had no stage — just a ring of sawdust marking the performance area. In 1811, the two partners commissioned architect William Strickland to design and construct a stage and orchestra pit for theatrical performances.
The Walnut has an astonishing list of American theatrical firsts. In 1837, the Walnut was the first theater to install gas footlights, and in 1855, it became the first theater to install air conditioning. The first copyright law protecting American plays had its roots at the Walnut. The curtain call — now a tradition in every theater — also started at the Walnut, with the post-play appearance of noted 19th-century actor Edmund Kean.
In 1820, Edwin Forrest, a young Philadelphian who would have a profound impact on American drama, made his professional debut on the Walnut stage at age 14. In 1863, the theater was purchased by Edwin Booth — a son of one of the most famous theatrical families of the day. (Edwin Booth was, of course, the brother of John Wilkes Booth, who would go on to assassinate President Lincoln at Ford's Theatre.
The Walnut's shining stars over the years have included Edwin Forrest, Edwin Booth, Edmund Kean, the Drews, the Barrymores, George M. Cohan, Will Rogers, The Marx Brothers, Helen Hayes, Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Marlon Brando, Jessica Tandy, Audrey Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Lauren Bacall, George C. Scott, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford, and William Shatner.
Purchased by the Shubert Organization in the 1940s, the theatre was home to many pre-Broadway tryouts of plays that would go on to become American classics, such as A Streetcar Named Desire starring Marlon Brando, A Raisin in the Sun featuring Sidney Poitier, and The Diary of Anne Frank featuring Susan Strasberg.
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On September 23, 1976, it was the site of the first presidential debate between Gerald R. Ford and Jimmy Carter. The Walnut Street Theatre Company, a non-profit regional producing company, was formed in 1983 by Bernard Havard. In 1984, the Walnut Street Theatre School was established, and over 1,200 students enroll annually. Today, with nearly 50,000 subscribers annually, the Walnut Street Theatre is the most subscribed theater company in the world.
It's a truly remarkable place — over 200 years of American history, art, and culture all under one roof in the heart of Philadelphia. The theater was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964, recognizing its extraordinary significance to American cultural heritage. Its interior has been carefully preserved and restored over the years, maintaining much of its 19th-century grandeur while being updated with modern theatrical technology.
Today, visitors can not only catch world-class performances there, but also take tours of the storied building itself, walking the same halls as legends like Katharine Hepburn and Marlon Brando.