ITALIAN HALL was located in one of the earliest Cleveland structures to be built out of brick, and among the first to house a theater. Built in the early 1830s on Water (now W. 9th) St., the theater occupied a converted attic space on the structure’s top floor. It also was the first theater in the city to feature raked (sloped floor) seats.
During the 1830s Italian Hall was the most fashionable performance space in Cleveland—the stopping place for many of the country’s top stars and travelling companies, most brought in by local backers. Early on, John Mills was Italian Hall’s proprietor. From 1834 to 1837, it also was home to the Dean & McKinney troupe. Founders Edwin Dean and David McKinney then built their own theater at the corner of Superior and Union Lane (now West 10th St.).
By the 1840s, newer theaters such as Center Street Theater (Frankfort St. between Bank and Water Sts.), National Hall on Public Square, and the Water Street Theater were competing for fashionable audiences and Italian Hall eventually became a variety house.
Updated by Christopher Roy 13 February 2025