Proctor's Theatre

1146 E. Jersey Street,
Elizabeth, NJ 07201

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Proctor's

Architects: Jesse A. Oakley Jr.

Previous Names: Drake Opera House, People's Theatre, Star Theatre, Jacob's Theatre

Nearby Theaters

Proctor's Theatre

The Drake Opera House was opened on September 15, 1894. It went through several owners and changes of name until it finally became Proctor’s Theatre.

The building was purchased by Jacob Fabian in 1925, and he hired architect Fred Wesley Wentworth to design the new Ritz Theatre on the site.

Contributed by Ken Roe

Recent comments (view all 2 comments)

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on May 9, 2012 at 11:43 pm

Here is an old postcard view of what is apparently the Proctor’s Theatre in Elizabeth, NJ. The signage also reads “Bijou Dream” but as the comments for the RKO Proctor’s Twenty-Third Street Theatre, “Bijou Dream” appeared for awhile on a number of theaters.

rsalters (Ron Salters)
rsalters (Ron Salters) on May 10, 2012 at 10:55 am

The Drake Opera House in Elizabeth is listed in the 1897-98 edition of the Julius Cahn Official Theatrical Guide. Col. W. Morton was Mgr. There were 1,425 seats. The theater was on the ground floor. The prosceniuim opening was 34 feet square and the stage was 47 feet deep. The 1897 population of Elizabeth was 55,000.

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