Schick Opera House
Plainview, Hale County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Businessman Levi Schick (1855-1936) launched the Schick Opera House in this building on Oct. 11, 1909. A traveling opera company opened the facility with a performance of "Little Dollie Dimples". Later attractions included vaudeville acts, musical programs, and plays. The opera house also served as a showcase for local talent and a site of public gatherings, such as graduation ceremonies. Known for its fine acoustics, the auditorium seated about 900 persons. Schick Opera House remained this area's cultural center until about 1920, when competition from motion pictures caused its decline. 1977
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Businessman Levi Schick opened his opera house in this Plainview building in 1909, launching it with a touring company's performance of "Little Dollie Dimples." With fine acoustics and seating for some 900, it hosted vaudeville, plays, musical programs, and civic gatherings, serving as the cultural heart of the area. Its era faded around 1920 as motion pictures drew away the crowds.
Why it matters
Small-town opera houses were the entertainment and community hubs of the early-twentieth-century Plains, and their decline maps the rise of the movie theater in American life.
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Related people
- · Levi Schick
Themes & tags
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