Description – In a building at the north end of the campground section of the Midwest Old Threshers complex in Mount (Mt.) Pleasant, Iowa, is located the Museum of Repertoire Americana(Theatre Museum). Visitors will find a unique collection of memorabilia from various venues of American popular entertainment—opera houses, tent theaters, showboats, minstrels, and Chautauqua. Included in this collection are scenery, costumes, photographs, posters, handbills, musical instruments, scripts, playbills, music, letters, and programs.
During the 1910s and 1920s over 400 repertoire companies toured in big cities and small towns all over the United States; this museum has information on a number of these companies and the repertoire performers. Much of that information has been entered into a data-base program for all types of researchers to peruse.
Summer theatre performances similar to those presented in the 1920s usually occur two weekends in July.
Admission – $3.00 for adults and youth over 15 ; free for children under 15 (if combining this tour with a tour of the Heritage Museum at Midwest Old Threshers, the cost is $5.00) (museum admission is free when one has paid the gate admission fee during the Reunion days)
Directions – west of the junction of U. S. Highways 218 and 34, south on Walnut Street, turn west on Threshers Road, turn south at first gate past cemetery
Hours – 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday – Friday, (day after Labor Day weekend – day before Memorial Day weekend); 10:00 a.m. – noon, 12:30 p.m.—4:30 p.m., Tuesday – Sunday, Memorial Day weekend – Labor Day Weekend; open other times by appointment
Credit Cards – American Express, Visa, Mastercard, and Discover (only when purchasing summer theatre tickets prior to the day of performance)
Phone – (319) 385-9432 (Theatre Museum) or (319) 385-8937 (Midwest Old Threshers)
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- Iowa Wesleyan College – Mount Pleasant, Iowa
- Midwest Old Threshers Heritage Museum – Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
- Waterloo Community Playhouse and Black Hawk Children’s Theater – Waterloo, Iowa
- Midwest Central Railroad And Midwest Electric Railway – Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
I was married onstage after Dollie of the Follies on the Sun Players in Newton Iowa in 1964 to Laurence P. Willey. We were leading lady and man.
In 1993 my second husband and I formed Richardson/Drosselle Productions and worked with the Missouri and Iowa film commissions to produce a film based on Toby. We worked with Jimmy and Grace Davis. The film never happened and we divorced shortly afterward. I still have the script and would like to hear from anyone interested in reviving this project.