TRUE STORIES

Not only were the early 1900s a time when there was no radio and television, phonograph records were just being developed. Also five and ten-minute silent moving pictures were just beginning to be available.
Thus, the primary form of amusement in small-town America was live entertainment such as home talent shows, lecturers, band music, traveling vaudeville shows, minstrels, musicals, and dramas. To accommodate this need, many towns established a theatre and community center, often called an "opera house."
The Miners’ Hall doubled as the opera house in Frontenac, as did union halls and lodge buildings in many area mining communities. According to the 1976 centennial edition of this newspaper, the first opera house in Pittsburg was the Pittsburg Opera House located in what later became known as the National Bank Building on the northeast corner of Fourth and Broadway.
On the northeast corner of Fourth and Locust stood another opera house — the LaBelle Theater. It showed all the big road shows that came through town since it featured a main floor with box seats along the walls, a large stage and two balconies — plus a “chicken roost,” a third balcony where seats cost only 50 cents.
An “Air Dome” was located at 9th and Broadway. It was a large open-air theater that first played stage attractions and later presented motion pictures during the summer months. There were also “Air Dome” theaters at 302 S. Broadway and 110 W. 5th.
In the tradition of the area’s turn of the century opera houses and open air theaters, a group of local actors and musicians will present a show to celebrate the opening of Immigrant Park and the Miner’s Memorial at the open-air Prichett Pavilion at Second and Broadway. The show will run between 10 am and 2 pm this Saturday August 30th.
Included in the program will be original songs about our area’s coal mining heritage by Holly Reed, accordion polka favorites by Johnny Zibert, songs from the 1960s by Two Old Hippies (Don Viney and Joy Leeper), old-timey music you might hear on porches in the Ozark hills by Baled Green and Wired Tight (Lee Ann and Jack Sours, Brandy and Brandon Wooden) and group sing-a-longs led by yours truly.
The centerpiece, presented at 12:00 noon by The Little Balkans Troupe, will be Dog Days In The Coal Camp. The musical drama, created and directed by Linda Knoll, features musical theatre, storytelling, dramatic interpretation and poetry that highlights our Southeast Kansas mining history and showcases some of the area’s finest talent: Bill Sollner, Hugh Campbell, Michael Doue, Lacey Billey, Benny Penner, Roy Hatcher, Linda Rohner, Lisa Mahnken, Tony Sanchez, Vonnie Corsini, Faith Paoni and Donna Bogner.
In addition to leading sing-a-longs between acts, I will serve as master of ceremonies and invite audience members to play the “Who Wants To Win A Loaf Of Hard Crust Bread” railroad and coal mining trivia game between acts.
If you enjoyed the Little Balkans Days Folklife Festival held beneath the cathedral of oak trees in Lincoln Park in years past, be sure to drop by. Performance times are: 10:00 am Holly Reed; 11:00 am Two Old Hippies; 11:45 am Johnny Zibert; 12:00 pm Dog Days In The Coal Camp; 1:00 pm Baled Green & Wired Tight; and 2:00 pm Closing Sing-A-Long.

J.T. Knoll is a writer, speaker and prevention and wellness coordinator at Pittsburg State University. He also operates Knoll Training, Consulting & Counseling Services in Pittsburg. He can be reached at 231-0499 or jtknoll@swbell.net