Part 337: The Jacques Opera House in Waterbury, Connecticut
In 1895, Thomas G. Moses wrote that he secured “a good $1,000.00 job at Hillsboro Theatre at Waterbury, Conn.” During my research I found no mention of any performance venue in Waterbury called the Hillsboro Theatre – either before, during, or after Moses’ visit in 1895. Keep in mind that Moses’ painting project in Waterbury, Connecticut, occurred thirty-six years before he created his 1931 manuscript. Moses based this manuscript on his handwritten entries from annual diaries. It is important to understand that Moses was preparing a book, “Sixty Years Behind the Curtain Line.” Looking at some of the very few existing diaries and his 1931 translation, a lot was omitted from the final manuscript. Subjects were glossed over, or presented with a much more optimistic outlook. He was reflecting on his career at the age of seventy-five. In addition to misspelled names, there were variations for the titles of the productions that he worked on. I think that some details were fuzzy and he simply improvised.
Here is what I did discover while researching Moses’ stay in Waterbury during 1895, as there was a stock scenery collection created for a refurbished opera house at that same time. The newspapers document a painting of drop curtain and scenery that coincides with Moses visit to the area.
Waterbury is located on the Naugatuck River, 33 miles southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, and 77 miles northeast of New York City. The town was associated with the manufacture of brass during the nineteenth century, as factories harnessed the waters of the Naugatuck and Mad Rivers. By 1853, Waterbury was incorporated and known as “the Brass Capital of the World.” Later the clock making industry also became linked associated with the town.
During the summer of 1895, the interior of the Jacques Opera House was thoroughly remodeled and new scenery purchased for the stage. I believe that this was the theatre project that drew Moses to Waterbury to paint $1,000 worth of stage settings. Up until the time that Jacques opened his opera house, there was only the People’s theatre. This early performance venue had provided marginal entertainment in mediocre accommodations. Jacques wanted a larger, and much more impressive home, to host touring shows for his community. I was curious to learn more about this ambitious individual.
Jacques Opera House was founded by Eugene “Jean” Jacques (1855-1905). Jacques initially worked for his father, a physician and pharmacist. He was involved in many business ventures, such as the Jacques & Fenn skating rink that was later transformed into the Casino and eventually into the People’s Theatre. Jacques and the community recognized the limitations of the venue, prompting him to construct his new opera house during the summer of 1885. Located at on the corner of Abbott and Phoenix Avenues, it was constructed for $50,000.
After opening the 1885 Jacques Opera House, he constructed another building with a stage called the Auditorium during 1891. It featured a hard-maple floor, measuring 5,000 square foot with a stage at the end of the room for dances and social events. The space was intended for dancing and also boasted a smoking room, a ladies room, a kitchen and other accessories. I found it interesting that historical records noted that no dramatic presentations of note took place at the Auditorium, but the space was used by a variety of fraternal groups, such as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F.). Jacques also founded the Diamond Bottling Works.
The “Town and City of Waterbury, Connecticut,” written by Joseph Anderson and Anna Lydia Ward in 1896, provides much information about the interior of Jacques Opera House in both 1885 and 1895 (pages 1095-1096). Here is a brief description of the original 1885 interior:
“The auditorium was built in the shape of a fireman’s trumpet, with the stage at the mouthpiece, and the seats were so arranged that the stage was visible from all parts of the house. All corners were rounded, and all rails curved, no angles being visible to mar the general effect. The decorations were bright, warm and cheerful, the woodwork being Tuscan red, terra cotta and gold, and the tints of the walls, ceilings and draperies harmonizing with it. A unique feature was the scene of the drop-curtain, which was a view of the celebrated glen in High Rock grove. The stage was large and thoroughly equipped with modern appliances. The orchestra pit was below the level of the floor, separated from the house by a curved rail. There were sixteen boxes, four on each side of the stage. The dressing rooms, lobby, etc., are in the basement, under the stage.” The original seating configuration was reconfigured a few years later, when several rows of plush covered sofas were put in.
Here is a description of the 1895 interior after the remodel with the scenery that was likely painted by Thomas G. Moses during his visit to Waterbury that year:
“The tone of the decoration was entirely changed, lighter and more delicate tints replacing the old color scheme. Eight boxes, of new and graceful design, replaced the sixteen of former days, and new seats were added to parquet and balcony, the seating capacity of the house being thus increased. A new and handsome drop-curtain, new sets of scenery, improvements in lighting facilities, etc., made the opera house seem almost like a new building, and added much to the comfort and pleasure of theatre-goers.”
Jacques future wife performed at his theatre during 1887. He married the actress Annie Louise Ames (1865-1915) two years later in 1889, and she gradually withdrew from show business to raise their daughter. Jacques Opera House had no competition until Poli’s Theatre opened in 1897. Poli’s was located just around the corner on East Main Street.
To be continued…
