PRINTER'S NO. 1905
No. 197 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY J. TAYLOR, JOSEPHS, ADOLPH, ALLEN, ARMSTRONG,
BAKER, BEBKO-JONES, BUNT, CALTAGIRONE, CIVERA, L. I. COHEN,
M. COHEN, CORNELL, DAILEY, DONATUCCI, FICHTER, FLICK, GEORGE,
GIGLIOTTI, HARHAI, HERSHEY, HORSEY, JAMES, KELLER, KENNEY,
LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, McNAUGHTON, MELIO, PESCI, PETRONE, RAMOS,
RIEGER, ROEBUCK, RUBLEY, SCRIMENTI, SHANER, E. Z. TAYLOR,
THOMAS, WALKO, WILLIAMS, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND
ZIMMERMAN, JUNE 8, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JUNE 8, 1999
A RESOLUTION
1 Designating the Walnut Street Theatre at 9th and Walnut Streets,
2 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the "State Theatre of
3 Pennsylvania."
4 WHEREAS, The Walnut Street Theatre was built in 1809, and it
5 has remained the oldest theatre in America; and
6 WHEREAS, During the theatre's long history in this
7 Commonwealth, it has reflected overall development of American
8 theatre; and
9 WHEREAS, The theatre's earliest performance was the "New
10 Circus," an equestrian act, and the first play was Sheridan's
11 "The Rivals" in 1812; and
12 WHEREAS, Continuing its noteworthy history, the Walnut Street
13 Theatre marked the premiere and final stage performance of Edwin
14 Forrest, a native Pennsylvanian and one of America's finest
15 actors of the theatre; and
1 WHEREAS, The Walnut Street Theatre featured performances by
2 famous American and European artists, including Fanny Kemble,
3 Lilly Langtry, Edmund Kean, Ellen Tree and Thomas Cooper, and
4 continued to be a leader in American theatre with appearances by
5 Henry Fonda, Julie Harris, W.C. Fields, Paul Robeson, Harry
6 Houdini, Leslie Howard, the Gish Sisters, Ethel Waters,
7 Katherine Hepburn, the Marx Brothers, Helen Hayes and many
8 others; and
9 WHEREAS, The Walnut Street Theatre was the site of the
10 Presidential debate between Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford and
11 other special events; and
12 WHEREAS, A major renovation in 1970 saved the theatre from
13 demolition, and the theatre grew to become the largest theatre
14 east of the Mississippi in its number of subscribers and earned
15 recognition for its theatre school and community outreach
16 program; therefore be it
17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
18 Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as the
19 "State Theatre of Pennsylvania."
D22L82JLW/19990H0197R1905 - 2 -