Springville Historical Society plans February lecture

r Brigham Young famously said, “If I were placed on a cannibal island and given a task of civilizing its people, I should straightway build a theatre.” The pioneer settlers of Springville heeded Brother Brigham’s words and made one of their first major building projects an edifice large enough to hold a dance floor and a stage so the residents could gather for social events and theatricals.

rOn Feb. 1, Daryl Tucker, president of the Springville Historical Society and former leader of the Springville Playhouse community theater company, will present a lecture on “Theater in the Art City.” The lecture will be held as part of the ongoing series of presentations sponsored by the Springville Senior Citizens and will be held that evening at 6 p.m. in the Senior Citizens’ Center located at 65 E. 200 South in Springville.

rTucker has been active in the Springville theater scene for many years, having appeared in numerous productions at the Villa Playhouse Theater, The Little Brown Theater and the aforementioned Springville Playhouse. His wife and several family members have also appeared on stage in many of those shows. While serving as president of Springville Playhouse, that organization celebrated 60 years of continuing service to the community and a history of the playhouse up to that time was produced. That project spurred an interest in researching more of the history of live theater in Springville and the upcoming lecture will fill in details regarding the early years and some of the interesting personalities that appeared on various Springville stages, including some of the most famous celebrities from the 19th and 20th centuries. It turns out murders and intrigues are not confined to imaginative stagecraft.

rCoincidentally, the Senior Citizens’ building where the lecture will take place is also the former site of the Springville Opera House, which burned down in the 1920s. So, the subject for the evening is most appropriate to the location.