A WALK AROUND THE THEATRE: North Front Theatre, a hidden gem

Special thanks to Holli Saperstein, Ben Steelman, and the StarNews

Welcome to a new series, where we’ll step into the aisle, off the stage, and behind the curtain, to explore where local theatre lives in the Port City. 

In this series, we’ll talk about everything from historic landmarks to strip mall rehearsal spaces, and get to know a little bit more about our local performing groups, and the spaces they use.

In our first edition, in light of And Seen Theatrical Productions' second weekend of "Come From Away" moving over from Thalian Hall’s new Red Box Theatre (stay tuned), we’re visiting the North Front Theatre.

What is now the North Front Theatre, sits on the fifth floor of 21 N. Front Street, and is accessed via a unique stone archway, next to an alleyway leading to a basement bar. 

The building’s cornerstone was laid in 1899, with full Masonic ritual and ceremony. The fifth floor was originally a “tea garden,” somewhat of a tourist attraction for views, music, dancing, and, apparently, imbibing. In 1909, the Masons took objection to this, stating it “exceeded the bounds of good taste,” and summarily evicted the “tea garden.”

By around 1914, the Masons turned the fifth floor into a temple, equipped with a 200 seat theatre, a stage, counter weighted fly system, and some backstage accommodations to support the rituals of the various degrees of the Scottish Rite. In 1981, the Scottish Rite moved to a new location on 17th Street, and the space fell into decline.

In 1999, John Sutton bought, modernized, and converted many of the spaces in the building. Up to that point, the theatre on the fifth floor sat mostly dormant, serving as an occasional film location, local legend, and Dennis Hopper’s personal art warehouse.

Today, after passing through the stone archway, flanked by poster cabinets promoting events (some future, some past), one is greeted by beautiful marble stairs, and a single elevator (which may be small, but is efficient, and regularly inspected). Once achieving the 5th floor, we are greeted with a very utilitarian lobby, a small box office, and a door leading to the rooftop bar; which is generally open around show times, weather permitting.

When you exit the bland lobby and enter the theatre, you are greeted by an unexpectedly beautiful theatre, and a fabulous proscenium arch. Now, I’m partial to Thalian Hall, but with the right lighting, it is a very tight race. The seating typically includes a few reserved tables, but mostly general admission with ample seating and near-business-class leg room. View wise, there really isn’t a bad seat in the house, and truthfully, some of the reserved seats can be worse than general admission.

Behind the scenes, the wings are small, and the backstage is spartan. But this was a utilitarian theatre, and not much different from any other theatre of the time. From the technician’s point of view, it’s old, but it works; you’re limited, to a degree, but that’s part of the magic. 

The North Front Theatre is a hidden gem sitting high above the middle of downtown, with a unique history all her own. Finding the theatre feels like a treasure hunt, and walking into the space you can literally feel the history. 

Unfortunately, the theatre is generally not open to the public, outside of performances, but it is worth a visit. Speaking of performances, And Seen Theatrical Productions’ opens their second, and final weekend, of "Come From Away" running February 26-March 1, with evening performances at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., tickets are available HERE.

"Come From Away" is an uplifting musical based on true stories from September 11th, 2001, depicting how a small Newfoundland community welcomed nearly 7,000 stranded airline passengers with open arms, showcasing kindness and unity in the face of tragedy. 

You can find my colleague Cathy Street’s round table review of the production HERE.