Virtual Tour:  The Auditorium

Inside the 108-seat upstairs auditorium, Guyer shows off its wonderful abilities. Once a traveling show headquarters, a movie house, and for many years a deserted opera house, the Guyer has had its ups and downs in the 100 years of its existence.  The acoustics are indescribable, and there is a great, unobstructed view from every seat.  The massive, beautiful pressed tin roof arches over the audience.  New stage lighting and electrical upgrades contribute to a better theater experience at the Guyer.

When the Guyer first opened, it played home to numerous traveling theater companies and other shows.  Lewsiville High School had its dramatic presentations there.  The opening performances at the Guyer were performed by the Holden Stock Co., located at the Old Park Theater in Indianapolis.  It is said some 500 people attended the first night's festivities of the opera house's opening.  You can read more about the opening of the Guyer in the History section.

The auditorium was used as more than just a place to do theater.  Wild west shows, Civil War regiment reunions, rabbit suppers, dances, and even basketball games went on in the auditorium.

When the auditorium was rediscovered in 1976, fallen plaster and peeled paint were to be found all around, along with an old coke machine or some onions that somebody was drying.  Those things that looked so bad were really the things that are so good in the point of restoration.  Nothing in the Guyer had been altered or changed since the opening date.  Original colors could still be seen on the walls.  The auditorium is very well preserved, along with the modern upgrades it has received.  

The theater has tiered seating, as the picture shows.  The original seats are gone.  108     new seats were added in the early 1990s.  

The tin ceiling doesn't shine out quite like it does in these pictures. The design of the ceiling is a tunnel design covered with stamped tin squares (single square shown below) so frequently found in Victorian architecture.  The ceiling does so much for the acoustical properties of the building.  The occasional heavy rain does bring a challenge for the audience and actors alike.  The tin roof and the tin ceiling amplify the sound of the rain very well, in addition. Some pictures show how well the ceiling lights up under a flash, but also some of the damage that the ceiling has taken due to early water problems and leaks.

This picture was taken before the auditorium was open to the public. Here, it was still being used for storage.

A neat view of the stage after cleanup, before renovation.

Between the ceiling and the roof. Notice the scissor beam woodwork and the curved ceiling underneath. It is still very well intact.

If you were to visit the theater in 1901, this is what you would have sat in. These seats are the original Guyer seats.

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