The People Behind Cleveland's Stages

Since its charter in 1894, I.A.T.S.E. Local 27 has been part of Cleveland's entertainment history. These photographs preserve pieces of that story — the theaters, stagehands, labor actions, social gatherings, celebrations and changing technology that shaped generations of work behind the curtain.

These images were preserved in Local 27's historical collection and are now being digitized, researched and shared as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the history of Cleveland's theatrical stagehands. This archive is a work in progress, and we hope to continue adding photographs, names, dates and stories as new information is discovered.

Some photographs are well documented. Others still hold mysteries. Dates identified as approximate reflect the best information currently available, and original handwritten album notes have been preserved even when later research suggests they may refer to a theater's opening year rather than the photograph itself.

Lyceum Theatre — Public Square

This photograph shows Cleveland's Lyceum Theatre on Public Square. The building originally opened as the Park Theatre on October 22, 1883. After a fire destroyed the theater in January 1884, it was rebuilt and eventually began operating under the Lyceum name in 1889.

The handwritten album notation appears to reference "Park" and 1883. While historically meaningful, 1883 cannot be the date of this photograph because the rooftop sign clearly reads LYCEUM THEATRE. This provided an important clue when researching the collection: some handwritten dates appear to record a theater's original opening year rather than the year the photograph was taken.

Star Theatre — 709 Euclid Avenue

The album identifies this building as the Star Theatre, a fact confirmed by the enormous rooftop sign. The theater at 709 Euclid Avenue originally opened as the Columbia Theatre in 1887 and became the Star Theatre in 1889. It presented vaudeville, melodrama, comic opera and, later, burlesque.

The handwritten "1887" therefore appears to commemorate the building's original opening rather than the date shown in the photograph. Horse-drawn traffic visible on Euclid Avenue makes an early date quite plausible, with c. 1890s currently serving as a cautious estimate.

Empire Theatre — Huron Road

Cleveland's Empire Theatre became an important early vaudeville house. Its facade proudly advertises "VAUDEVILLE — MATINEE EVERY DAY — SMOKING CONCERTS."

The Empire belonged to a fascinating transitional period in American entertainment when vaudeville, live theater, burlesque and the emerging motion-picture industry increasingly shared audiences and stages.

Lyceum Theatre Crew

Handwritten directly on this remarkable photograph are the words "Lyceum Theatre 1903." Eleven men pose together wearing caps, suspenders, vests, work clothes and shop coats. Their appearance and surroundings strongly suggest a group involved in the practical work of operating the theater.

By 1903, Local 27 had been chartered for nine years. Because this photograph survives in the Local's historical collection, it is quite possible that some or all of these men were early Local 27 members. Until membership records or another contemporary source identifies them, however, that connection remains probable rather than proven.

Colonial Theatre Crew

Marked "Colonial 1903," this wonderful group portrait appears to show a theater crew shortly after the opening of Cleveland's Colonial Theatre on March 16, 1903. The Colonial stood near Superior Avenue and what was then Erie Street, later East 9th Street.

The men pose informally in a mixture of work clothes and suits, joined by a young boy holding a puppy — a small detail that turns an occupational photograph into something wonderfully personal.

Since Local 27 had already been established for nine years and the photograph was preserved in its archive, it may depict members of an early Local 27 house crew. Individual membership has not yet been confirmed.

Keith's Prospect Theatre

The Prospect Theatre opened in 1904 and soon became associated with the powerful B. F. Keith vaudeville organization. It belonged to a booming Cleveland entertainment world in which vaudeville circuits, stock companies and the new motion-picture business increasingly overlapped.

The album's handwritten "1904" corresponds to the theater's opening year. Because the building already appears to carry Keith identification, a working date of approximately 1904–1908 is more cautious than assuming the photograph was taken on opening day.

Theatrical Social Club

Nearly one hundred men and women gather on tiered wooden bleachers in this photograph identified in the album as the Theatrical Social Club. The setting suggests an organized picnic, outing or club gathering rather than a theater crew portrait.

The clothing appears consistent with the early decades of the twentieth century, but the exact date and location remain unknown. The presence of women should not automatically be interpreted as Local 27 membership; those pictured could include spouses, relatives, performers, wardrobe workers, other theatrical employees or members of the social organization itself.

First Annual Theatrical Pleasure Club Clam Bake

The inscription on this photograph reads: "1st Annual Clam Bake — Theatrical Pleasure Club — Hepline's Grove — Sept. 12 - 33." Men, women and children gather for a large social outing connected to Cleveland's theatrical community.

It is an especially valuable reminder that union and stagehand history extends beyond the jobsite. Friendships, families, clubs, picnics and social traditions were also part of the community surrounding the theater.

Local 27 Pickets the Cleveland Play House

There is no mystery about the union represented in this photograph. Local 27 picketers stand outside the Cleveland Play House carrying signs reading:

The photograph is a direct piece of Local 27 labor history: members publicly advocating for union stagehand employment at one of Cleveland's major theatrical institutions.

Playhouse Square in Its Heyday

This extraordinary streetscape captures Euclid Avenue and Playhouse Square while the district was still operating at full throttle. The Allen Theatre dominates the left side of the photograph, while the enormous vertical LOEW'S STATE sign rises farther down the street among automobiles, streetcars and theatergoers.

The Allen marquee gives us a detective-worthy clue. It advertises Bad Men of Missouri, starring Dennis Morgan, Jane Wyman, Wayne Morris and Victor Jory. The film was released in 1941, firmly placing the photograph in that year.

Additional marquee details may eventually allow the photograph to be dated to a particular week. This is Playhouse Square not as a restored historic district, but as a living Cleveland entertainment center.

Cleveland Labor's Message to Hitler

On September 1, 1942, Cleveland labor leaders gathered at War Production Board headquarters and signed a U.S. Army Air Forces bomb intended for Germany.

Written prominently on the bomb are "TO — ADOLPH HITLER" and "FREE LABOR WILL WIN," while the cloth beneath it reads "TO ADOLPH HITLER FROM CLEVELAND LABOR."

The federal Office of War Information reported the event in its wartime publication Victory under the memorable headline "Pineapple for Adolf!" Approximately a score of Cleveland labor officials reportedly signed the bomb before its intended delivery by the Army Air Forces.

Local 27's Diamond Jubilee

Stagehands at Work

Four stagehands are shown installing or focusing theatrical lighting in what appears to be a hotel ballroom, convention facility or similar event space. Multiple lighting fixtures hang from a vertical pipe while a large period followspot dominates the foreground.

Clothing, hairstyles and equipment suggest a date in the 1970s, although the venue and identities of the men pictured have not yet been confirmed.

This photograph provides a perfect bridge between the formal theater crews of 1903 and modern Local 27: more than seventy years later, the heart of the story is still stagehands doing the work.

Recognize Someone?

History doesn't live only in archives. Many of the people, venues and events in these photographs are still waiting to be identified — and you may know the answer.

If you recognize a Local 27 member, family member, theater, event or location pictured here, we'd love to hear the story. Even a name, approximate year or small detail may help us solve one of the mysteries in this collection.

Help us preserve the stories of the people who built Cleveland's shows from behind the scenes.