Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
SHAKESPEARE HALL
SHAKESPEARE HALL. One of the earliest theaters in Dubuque, Shakespeare Hall was located in the upstairs room of the SHAKESPEARE COFFEE HOUSE AND FREE ADMISSION NEWS ROOM, a two-story building owned by Charles Corkery near the corner of Main and Second STREETS. The December 9, 1837, issue of the Iowa News stated that the News Room would offer readers newspapers from many parts of the country. The Coffee House would have available, for cash-up-front, a wide selection of wines and liquors.
The theater boasted of having all equipment needed for the presentation of plays. The first group to use the facility was the IOWA THESPIAN ASSOCIATION. One of the first professional performers who made use of this equipment was George L. NIGHTINGALE. (1) The establishment gradually became less a coffee house than a bar. (2)
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1. Oldt, Franklin T. The History of Dubuque County, Iowa. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 1880, Online: http://books.google.com/books?id=u9xDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA464&lpg=PA464&dq=Burton%27s+Furnace+%28dubuque+history%29&source=bl&ots=0CkCGLFR0v&sig=a0Ou1vN3ew6nQUYoq2aOJsXF9Mg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=j3HVT5XALaP42QXVp9iFDw&ved=0CGgQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=Burton%27s%20Furnace%20%28dubuque%20history%29&f=false (p. 518)
2. Ibid.