The theatres and opera houses of Colonel James M. Wood, theatrical architect, 1868-1903

The purpose of this study is to identify and describe the nineteenth-century theatrical structures designed by Colonel J. M. Wood between the years 1868 and 1903. The study concentrates on communities located in the Midwest and on the West Coast. The emphasis of the study is upon recording significant information regarding the auditorium design, stage facilities and methods of illumination in the theatres designed by Colonel J. M. Wood. In order to understand the world that this man worked in, Chapter One will examine the conditions in American theatre and American theatre architecture prior to 1868. Chapters Two through Four will identify and describe twenty-two of the theatres built or designed by Wood between 1868 and 1903. It is hoped that this study will add to our knowledge about the history of the physical theatre in the nineteenth century and bring this forgotten architect to the attention of theatre scholars