HAUNTED PLACE: The Egyptian Theatre
The Egyptian Theatre can be found
in the historical section of Park City.
LOCATION:
328 Main Street, Park City, Utah 84060.
Theatre
Web-Site * 435-645-0671 * Make
a Donation * Calendar
DESCRIPTION:
The Egyptian is a three floored, proscenium-style theatre, featuring Egyptian inspired architecture includes lotus leaf
motifs, scarabs, hieroglyphics and symbols of life and happiness. It has
seating in its auditorium for 266 guests and an additional 16 seats at
its cabaret tables. The third floor has a "carpeted hospitality area"
which has room for 125 people.
Many events take place within its
walls.
1) This 1922 Egyptian Theater is
described on their web site as offering "Off-Broadway style"
live theatre in Park City. It is the home theatre of The Egyptian Theatre
Company, an Actor's Equity small professional non-profit theatre company,
which performs four lighthearted and entertaining comedy and musical
comedy productions on this stage.
2) ETC's "Youth theatre program
is dedicated to helping young people learn and grow as performers, creators,
and audience members." Their youth programs began in 1996 with
25 students, and has since grown to 500 students who participate in
after school and summer classes.
3) The theatre also rents its facilities
for other performances and outside groups, touring groups like the Glen
Miller Orchestra, film viewing, seminars, private functions, and even
weddings! The Egyptian Theatre is the main venue for the Sundance Film
Festival held every year, sponsored by Robert Redford.
To book the theatre for your event,
please contact: Jessica Kunzer at 435-645-0671 or via e-mail: jessica@parkcityshows.com
The people of Park City have for a
long time appreciated the arts and loved their town theatre. Their first
beloved, ornate theatre, The Opera House, was built in the 1880s after
a spirited campaign which raised the huge sum of $30,000! Touring theatrical
companies came through town, and performed many a production, bringing
culture and the arts to this rambunctious silver mining town. Unfortunately,
The Opera House was gutted by the great 1898 fire which consumed most
of Park City's buildings, but didn't kill anyone, or damper the human
spirit to start over with new buildings.
Undaunted, the people rebuilt a theatre
in a different spot soon after the great fire, calling it The Dewy Theatre,
which continued in the fine tradition of hosting cultural events such
as theatrical productions, grand ballroom dances, vaudeville acts and
silent movies. There also was a bowling alley in the basement. Then, in
March of 1916, a killer snow storm dumped a ton of snow on Park City,
causing the roof of The Dewy Theatre to collapse. Luckily, no one was
inside at the time.
In 1922, the people of Park City again
began to rebuild their theatre on the same spot where the Dewy Theatre
had stood, showcasing an Egyptian theme inside and outside, with the help
and guidance of an Egyptologist from Seattle. This was a popular art style
at the time because of the discovery of King Tut's tomb in Egypt in the
early '20s. The 400 seat Egyptian Theatre opened in 1926, on Christmas
Eve with a John Rugar production. The Egyptian Theatre was built to last,
and it continued to offer live productions and films as entertainment
for Park City residents throughout the depression, WW1, WW2, and even
during the years when Park City was listed as a ghost town on some historic
registers, despite still having 1500 people.
In 1963, the name of the theatre was
temporarily changed to the Silver Wheel Theatre, which continued to offer
live theatre, mostly local productions of old west 'meller dramas,' which
pleased the tourists and the people brought in by the new industry in
town, the ski slopes!
In 1978, the building was looking
a bit long in the tooth, badly in need of a artistic facelift to preserve
its unique Egyptian art decor.. People of Park City once again came together
and came up with the money to repair the Egyptian architecture of the
theatre, which was finished by 1981. The theatre became the Egyptian Theatre
once again, the center stage for Park City's live cultural performances,
including all live art genres.
Sooner or later, even well-built buildings
will need a major repair and renovation. The Egyptian Theatre reached
that point in the mid 1990s. Once again the people of Park City formed
a fundraising organization, Save Our Stage and came up with the money
needed to restore the structure to its former glory. The Steiner Egyptian
Theatre reopened on February 14, 1998, the home of The Egyptian Theatre
Company.
HISTORY OF MANIFESTATIONS:
Park City author, C.A. Fliedner speculates
who this ghost could be, causing the paranormal activity at The Egyptian
Theatre. According to Fliedner, a 21 year old man by the name of Johnnie
McLaughlin, who was an aspiring actor and drama enthusiast, worked at
the Dewy Theatre as a stage hand at the turn-of-the-century. Unfortunately,
he suffered a horrible death while trying to rescue miners during the
terrible mine accident of 1902. As the haunting of the theatre began soon
after The Egyptian Theatre opened in 1926, I think that Fliedner's hunch
has merit. Ghosts often move into the new building which is built on the
land of the original site. (For example, see The
Willard Library)
MANIFESTATIONS:
* When no one is on the stage, footsteps
have been heard on its wooden floor.
* Doors have been known to fly open
by themselves.
* Horrible screams have been heard
inside the theatre.
* A male apparition has been seen
by patrons, staff and performers.
* This ghost can be rude. People
have been pushed to the ground.
Still Haunted?
Yes indeed.
There has been no psychic research
done, but eye witnesses have experienced the above listed paranormal events
in the past and currently.
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