Emery Theatre - History

History

The Emery Theatre was the third in a series of four theatre-style concert halls whose design was derived from Adler and Sullivan's Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, and that were specifically built for the symphony orchestras of their respective cities. The four halls were Carnegie Hall in New York City (1892), Orchestra Hall in Chicago (1904), Emery Auditorium in Cincinnati (1911), and Orchestra Hall in Detroit (1919). Unlike its three sister halls, the Emery Theatre is not freestanding, but is part of a school building. The school was the Ohio Mechanics Institute (OMI), now known as the Ohio College of Applied Science.

By the early 1900s, the OMI's need for a new and larger building was imperative. Preliminary plans were first made public in a promotional brochure, which appeared in the spring of 1906. This brochure showed a four-story building with a small stage, limited backstage facilities, and seating capacity of 1,280, which would have precluded its use by any large-scale theatrical or concert productions. However, outside influence was soon felt in the form of Mrs. Mary M. Emery's philanthropy.

Initially, Mrs. Emery offered to fund only part of the project, but OMI Superintendent John L. Shearer induced her to take on the entire cost of the project and make the whole building a memorial to her husband. Mrs. Emery only asked that the auditorium be "so constructed as to be serviceable for public and private lectures, entertainments, symphony and other concerts. May Festival rehearsals, and for such other entertainment as in the judgement of the Trustees of your institution may be proper." She avoided mention of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, which she hoped would be the new hall's main tenant.

Thanks to new management and a need for a smaller concert hall, the CSO eventually made Emery Theatre its home. The original plan for 1,500 seats would not, however, be enough. A second balcony was added, and the final design helped to make the Emery the first concert hall in the United States to have no obstructed seats.