Theatre in the Illawarra
Did you meet your sweetheart at the movies? Were you in a local theatre group? Remember your first kiss in the drive-in? This exhibition of photos from the collection on display and online will evoke memories of connections made as participant or audience at theatres in the Illawarra.
Theatre going, to see movies or amateur and professional theatre performances, has been a vibrant part of life in the Illawarra, a place where people connected as participants and audiences. The photographic exhibition, Theatre in the Illawarra, includes images of local ornate theatre buildings which showed the latest movies, photos of actors in stage productions at local theatres large and small and even a drive-in movie theatre with cars from the 1950s and its cafe.
Huge numbers of people attended local theatres, particularly on Saturday nights, before the advent of television in homes in the 1960s. They were an important place for social connection for all ages, but especially teenagers. Some of the theatres still exist, but others have gone or have been repurposed. This exhibition showcases the large number of local theatre groups in the Illawarra during the twentieth century and will evoke memories for those who were part of audiences or in amateur acting groups.