Washington Theatre

Washington Theatre. . Opening night at the Washington Theatre was January 17, 1913. The admission price was 10 cents. Owner and theater magnate Louis Landau, Jr., directed the first night's performance include both vaudeville acts and a silent movie. Live music accompanied both. From the orchestra pit the conductor controlled chimes concealed in the walls that created a stereophonic effect. The combination of live performances and films continued to be offered at the Washington until the 1940s. Landau had an airdome - an open-air theater - constructed behind the theater in late 1913. The airdome continued to provide entertainment into the 1930s. The architectural firm of Charles Pauly and Son of Granite City and Edwardsville designed the theater. Amenities included a smoking room for men. In 1926, the Washington was renamed the Illinois Theatre. A major renovation in 1951 to convert the theater into a first-run movie house proved futile. The Illinois closed in 1955. Hiken Furniture moved into the building in 1956 and remained in business there until 1975. Subsequently Illinois Public Aid Services and the Social Security Administration occupied office space. In 1997 Precision Practice Management - a medical billing company - renovated and moved into the old theater.