King Opera House

King Opera House
Brick building of Victorian architecture
King Opera House, 2007
Location 427 Main Street
Van Buren, Arkansas,
Coordinates 35°26′12″N 94°20′29″W / 35.436547°N 94.341359°WCoordinates: 35°26′12″N 94°20′29″W / 35.436547°N 94.341359°W
Built 1880
Architectural style Victorian
Part of Van Buren Historic District (#76000402)

The King Opera House is a performance hall located on Van Buren, Arkansas's Main Street. Since it was built in the late 19th century, the opera house's stage has hosted many plays and performers. The King Opera House is a contributing property to the Van Buren Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1]

Architecture

The Victorian-era structure first opened its doors in the late 19th century, and has since undergone extensive restoration prior to reopening for use in 1979. The auditorium of the opera house has several seats below and on the balcony areas with an intricate design. Large and well-sized for performances on its stage, the opera house below consists of a basement with two couches, and two small closet-sized dressing rooms. The basement can be highly cramped in its relatively modest changing area and green room, particularly for productions with large casts.

The Ghost of the Opera House

Believers in spirits have stated that a ghost will drift back to what anchored it to earth. From reports taken from old local newspapers in Van Buren, a daughter of local doctor wanted to join traveling acting troupe, perhaps was also infatuated with leading man & sought him out, expressed desire to leave with the troupe the morning after their last show in Van Buren. A traveling salesman who had expressed to drinking cronies in Main St. saloons an interest in the doctor's daughter called the doctor around midnight (before the troupe was to leave the next morning) and told the doctor it was in the best interest of his family if the two met immediately at the depot on Main St. The doctor was fired up by the salesman's statements that the actor was planning to steal his daughter away, leading her to rack & ruin, etc. Early the next morning, the doctor was at the depot, called to the actor as he stood at the ticket window, then fired 3 shots, 1 missing the actor, 1 striking him in the back as he turned to flee, 1 lodging in his pocket watch. Less than 24 hrs. later, the actor died in a Ft. Smith Hosp. And what would anchor the spirit of an actor to earth more than the theater in which he had last performed?

Janice Cochrane, manager of the opera house and writer/director of an original play based on the legend, told the state Parks & Tourism Department that the actor's ghost was first seen by a musician and artist during the first production of the re-opened theater which was purchased by the City of Van Buren in 1979. Other sightings, including one by the director of another play, have been cited as recently as 2000. At least one director is said to have also visited with the spirit.

The ghost is said to materialize, dressed in a top hat and Victorian style coat with a long cape. Cochrane has stated that once after all the actors left from a rehearsal of her play, and only she remained, that she felt as if someone else was in the theater with her. The feeling she described was that it was almost as if the hairs were standing up on the back of her neck.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.

External links