The Savannah Theatre, first opened in 1818 and located on Bull Street, at Chippewa Square, in Savannah, Georgia, is one of the United States' oldest continually operating theatres. The structure has been both a live performance venue and a movie theater. Since 2002, the theatre has hosted regular performances of a variety of shows, primarily music revues.
History
The Savannah Theatre opened its doors at 5:30pm on December 4, 1818, with a performance of "The Soldier's Daughter". The original structure was designed by British architect William Jay, whose other notable works include the Telfair Mansion and the Owens-Thomas House, both located in Savannah. During the 1850s and 1860s, it was sometimes known as the Athenaeum. On March 21, 1861, Alexander H. Stephens delivered the Cornerstone Speech at the theatre.
The original structure suffered severe damage due to a hurricane that hit Savannah on August 31, 1898, tearing sections of the roof off the building and flooding the auditorium.The Morning Herald, September 1, 1898, "Havoc In Savannah", Baltimore Additionally, the Theatre has undergone two notable structural overhauls as the result of fires in 1906Boston Evening Transcript, September 22, 1906, "Savannah Theatre Burns" and 1948.St. Petersburg Times, January 13, 1948, "Fire Damages Famed Theatre In Savannah" Following the 1948 fire, the building was transformed to its current Art Deco style.
Military use In 1832, the Savannah Theatre served a temporary military function when troops from Cantonment Oglethorpe relocated to the building during the sickly season."Returns from U.S. Military Posts, 1800-1916: Savannah, Georgia, January 1824 - December 1850," National Archives Microfilm Publication M617, Roll 1126, Images 51-227, FamilySearch, https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/film/008361400?cat=589910"The Oglethorpe Barracks, Interesting History of How Its Location was Obtained". Savannah Morning News. March 31, 1882. p. 4 Col 3&4. Retrieved November 24,2025 – via Georgia Historic Newspapers. On May 17, 1832, Company E of the Second Regiment of Artillery moved from the cantonment into the city, with enlisted men billeted in the Savannah Theatre while officers stayed in nearby homes.httpshttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cantonment_Oglethorpe&action=edit§ion=14#:~:text=page.-,Gamble%2C%20Thomas%2C%20Jr.%20(1901,names:%20authors%20list%20(link)://dlg.usg.edu/record/gsg_docs_1373 The City Council allowed the soldiers to temporarily fence the space between the Theatre and the nearby open grounds of the Chatham Academy. This relocation strategy proved effective in reducing mortality from bilious malignant fever (likely malaria) that had devastated the cantonment, with only 3 to 7 troops recorded sick and one death during the first year of this approach, compared to the cantonment's devastating losses of over 100 soldiers, women, and children between 1826 and 1828. Troops returned to the cantonment each November during the healthier months until the construction of permanent barracks within the city was completed in 1835.
Notable players
Over the past two centuries, the Savannah Theatre has showcased an array of talented performers, including Fanny Davenport, E. H. Sothern, Julia Marlowe, Otis Skinner, Oscar Wilde Sarah Bernhardt, W. C. Fields, Tyrone Power, and Lillian Russell. Edwin Booth played several engagements at the Theatre in February 1876, with Shakespearean roles including Hamlet, Iago, and King Lear.Arthur W. Bloom, Edwin Booth: A Biography and Performance History, McFarland, 2013, Page XVIII, It is unknown as to whether or not Edwin's younger brother John Wilkes Booth ever performed at the Savannah Theatre.
In 1851, the New York Dramatic Company leased the Theatre briefly. Among the players was Joseph Jefferson, whose most well-known role was that of Washington Irving's "Rip Van Winkle". However the company's stand failed to succeed, as their "lineup of standard hits failed to tempt Savannah audiences."
In November 1911, baseball player Ty Cobb appeared in The College Widow at the theatre.The Savannah Press, November 11, 1911, Advertisement
The theatre today
Beginning in 2002 with the music revue "Lost in the '50s", the theatre has housed live performances of several productions.
References
Bibliography
External links The Historic Savannah Theatre Don't miss Historic Savannah Theatre, enduring part of city's history Savannah Theatre - Cinema Treasures