When you think of an opera house, what comes to mind? You may imagine grand architecture, a splendid stage surrounded by filigreed baroque high relief, rows of red velvet seats. What you probably don’t imagine is a humble wooden building located in a small town in the middle of Utah. On that note, did you know that there was once an opera house in the little town of Levan? I sure didn’t, until I read about it in A History of Levan: Chicken Creek Camp by Maurine Powell Stephensen.
On November 26, 1898, the Levan Opera House was incorporated with H.C.L. Jorgensen as president. Belying its name, the opera house hosted much more than operas. The wooden building was located on Block 38, across the street from the co-op store. This one-room space had a stage with an orchestra pit, an alcove for picnic lunches and “Old Folk’s Parties,” a rostrum used for political rallies and debates, and a large open area used for dances, basketball games, church activities, and many other kinds of gatherings. The stage was lit with carbide gas lamps, which were occasionally struck by an errant basketball, and once were responsible for catching a girl's skirts on fire. When motion pictures first began to be shown, a projection room was built over the entryway, where the operator would turn the film projector by hand.
Envisioned as a space to gather for community activities, the Opera House was constantly in use bringing people together for good times. So many fond memories must have been made in that wooden building. The Levan Opera House may not exist any longer, but now and always we are in need of a place to get together to make our own memories. During this COVID-19 pandemic, we now appreciate more than ever the chance to gather with family and friends, neighbors and strangers. Fortunately, we can now watch an opera that was performed on the other side of the world, or speak face-to-face with a family member in another state or country. Our meeting spaces may have changed immensely since the early 1900’s, but one thing has never changed: we will always find a way to connect with one other.
Source:
Stephensen, Maurine Powell, Daughters of Utah Pioneers (1990). A History of Levan: Chicken Creek Camp.
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