Annie Russell Theatre
Encyclopedia
The Annie Russell Theatre is a historic theater
in Winter Park
, Florida
, United States
. The theatre was named after the English
-born actress Annie Russell
in 1931, and designed by the German
-born architect
Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott
. It is located on the premises of Rollins College
. On July 15, 1998, it was added to the U.S.
National Register of Historic Places
.
when she was young, and jump starting her acting career in New York
. When she retired she moved to New Jersey
, but quickly changed her mind and moved to Winter Park in 1923. Shortly thereafter, she began teaching at Rollins College, continuing to do so until she died of lung disease in 1936.
The theatre is rumored to be haunted. Visitors to the theatre have claimed to have seen a female apparition in the second story changing room. However, due to recent structural modifications, this room can no longer be accessed.
Theater (structure)
A theater or theatre is a structure where theatrical works or plays are performed or other performances such as musical concerts may be produced. While a theater is not required for performance , a theater serves to define the performance and audience spaces...
in Winter Park
Winter Park, Florida
Winter Park is a suburban city in Orange County, Florida, United States. The population was 24,090 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 28,083. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The theatre was named after the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born actress Annie Russell
Annie Russell
Annie Ellen Russell was an English born American stage actress.-Early life:Russell was born on in Liverpool, England, of Irish parents, Joseph Russell and Jane Mount. She moved to Canada when she was a child. She made her first appearance on the stage at eight years old at the Montreal Academy of...
in 1931, and designed by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott
Kiehnel and Elliott
The architectural firm of Kiehnel and Elliot was established in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1906. Richard Kiehnel was the designer. Kiehnel was born in Germany. He studied at the University of Breslau, Germany and the Ecole Nationale des Beaux Arts in Paris. Kiehnel's first commission in the...
. It is located on the premises of Rollins College
Rollins College
Rollins College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida , along the shores of Lake Virginia....
. On July 15, 1998, it was added to the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
Russell moved to AmericaUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when she was young, and jump starting her acting career in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. When she retired she moved to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, but quickly changed her mind and moved to Winter Park in 1923. Shortly thereafter, she began teaching at Rollins College, continuing to do so until she died of lung disease in 1936.
The theatre is rumored to be haunted. Visitors to the theatre have claimed to have seen a female apparition in the second story changing room. However, due to recent structural modifications, this room can no longer be accessed.