Delphi Opera House anchorsdowntown revivalDomenica Bongiovanni

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Delphi Opera House reborn

DELPHI — At the north corner of the Courthouse square, historicalvisionaries watch over those who pass them on the sidewalk.

Wabash & Erie Canal contractor Reed Case, poet James Whitcomb Riley,artist Roy Trobaugh. In total, eight people are immortalized on a muralpainted over bricks etched with more than a century of life. At the top, theemblazoned phrase “Pursue the Dream” heralds the movers and shakers,and encourages new ones.

A single element of the figuresʼ diverse achievements unites them: Theyhave carved indelible marks that shaped Delphi and rippled outward.

This historical identity is what many community members recognize as acelebration of the past that can fuel the city s̓ economic development. Theirefforts depend a great deal on a reinvigorated downtown and its singularDelphi Opera House.

Restoring the quirky but endearing performance space, with its intimatelymajestic third-floor stage that was long out of public sight, was thecenterpiece of the proposal that netted Delphi a 2012 Stellar Communitiesdesignation by the state and millions of dollars in funding.

The plan is for the opera house to anchor a cultural and entertainment hubthat will attract patrons from the region. Leveraging its own programmingand ambiance, the venue is working with restaurants, antique and specialtyshops, the Opera House Gallery of Contemporary Art and others to createan experience that will draw residents and visitors.

“A lot of small communities and even bigger communities are using art as aneconomic development tool,” said former Delphi Mayor Randy Strasser.

The blueprint is there. Statistics from Americans for the Arts and the Leagueof Historic American Theatres show how venues like this one can grow jobsand revenue in small communities. Now Delphi must find its specific formula.

The opera house is past the major renovations and in its second season, andthe reality of grinding operational responsibilities has set in fully. Executivedirector Sara Daly Brosman and Anita Werling, the president of the DelphiOpera House Inc. board, know this. They recognize what worked in thesuccessful inaugural season as they carefully continue to navigateuncharted territory.

And with an expanded history center and archives in the works, theyʼre

The Delphi Dramatic Clubtried to keep the third-floor opera house open inthe early 20th century,but the fire inspectorcondemned the space asunsafe in 1914. (Photo:Provided by DelphiPreservation Society)

building more than a performing arts space.

“(We) want visits here to be an experience,” Brosman said.

***

A storied history — and then abandonment

The Delphi Opera House s̓ history — a major selling point — is key torealizing its potential to boost economic development.

The third-floor City Hall, as it was initially called, was part of a three-storystructure that local businessmen Joseph Assion and John Ruffingcontracted with a Lafayette man to build, according to an account by Delphihistorian Charles E. Gerard. Completed in 1865, the first floor containedthree store rooms and residence rooms comprised the second, he wrote.

It was part of a wave of building and developmentthat included larger homes and businesses that werehigher quality than their quicker, cheaper pioneeringpredecessors that were constructed from about1824 to 1855, according to Gerard. Localnewspapers highlighted Delphi s̓ successful businessclimate and beauty. Additionally, the town became acity in 1866 and brought on a mayor, city council andcity officers, he wrote.

Not meant as a government space, the City Hallserved as a spot for July 4 celebrations, dances andother entertainment for the community, according toGerard. Groups including the Young Folksʼ DancingAssociation and the Irish Total Abstinence Society ofDelphi used it.

In the early 1880s, businessman and musician John Lathrope, likely along

with Ruffing, refashioned the City Hall into a new, impressive performing artsspace — the Lathrope and Ruffing Opera House, according to Gerard.During its run, it had competition from other venues but soon rose to be themost prominent, he wrote.

Manager Lathrope, known for his drive and impeccable taste, booked a hugesplash for the opening concert: famous singer Marie Litta with the touringLitta Grand Opera Co. Until the turn of the century, the opera house s̓entertainment reigned with Riley, drama troupes from New York, East Indianmusic, comedy acts, orchestras, bands, community events and more,according to Gerard.

The venue s̓ descent began in 1900, Gerard wrote, which was caused bychanged opinions, an aging Lathrope and a handful of motion picturetheaters, among other factors. The powerful Delphi Dramatic Club triedvaliantly to keep it open. But calls for a new, updated venue increased amidsafety concerns because of the opera house s̓ single entry and exit,according to the historian. The fire inspector condemned it in 1914.

“Delphi is an interesting case because Iʼve never heard of a theater that wasclosed down because it was deemed unsafe and then sat empty,” said KenStein, president and CEO of the League of Historic American Theaters.

Usually, he said, theaters performed well, often converting to movie houseslater on and then suffering once multiscreen cineplexes took over.

Since then, passing decades rubbed away its well-chronicled magnificencein the memories of each generation. While the first and second floors cycledthrough several uses, including a pharmacy, residences and offices, the thirdfloor was relegated to storage and a workshop. A 2009 photo shows peelingwallpaper, weathered seating with store signage and crates stacked on thestage.

That an opera house featuring the famous had once existed on a dirty upper

floor of an old building had practically become a myth.

Writer Stacy Post, who grew up in Delphi in the 1970s and 1980s, was onlyvaguely aware of the performance space after her fourth-grade Indianahistory class mentioned that Riley read there.

“I knew (the opera house) in a vague sense that it was something at onetime,” Post said. “You couldnʼt go see it or visit it. It was not in any shape orform for the public to visit.”

Dan McCain, the Wabash and Erie Canal Association president, didnʼt realizeanything like the opera house existed upstairs until about 20 years ago, hesaid. He grew up in Delphi and has been a driving force behind the canalinterpretive center, trails and grounds.

The Delphi Opera House stood in disrepair in 2009. (Photo: Photoprovided/Alan McConnell)

McCain s̓ uncle told him that his grandfather had performed as a stage actor

there, scribbling his name on the backstage walls as other performers havesince the 19th century, McCain said.

“We sometimes donʼt even know about our own communities, and we growup in them,” he said.

New life

Underneath the grime, Werling saw potential. A newcomer to Delphi in 2005,she became involved with the Delphi Preservation Society and worked as afull-time volunteer. The opera house captured her, and she spearheaded themove to make it into a performing arts center.

“I still get exciting vibes when Iʼm up in that room,” Werling said. “The senseof people from the past, audiences enjoying ... whoever s̓ up on the stage.”

The Delphi Preservation Society bought two-thirds of the building in 1996and the other third in 2007. In the past decade-plus, the building s̓ needswere analyzed and restored. Major structural repairs — including a new roof— occurred along with aesthetic ones, like matching original wallpapers andpainting on faux wood paneling, among many others.

Volunteers put in countless hours. Norm Miller, a retired teacher from DelphiCommunity High School, has been a sponsor and volunteer along with hiswife during the renovations and now. Currently, Brosman is the only full-timeemployee.

Anita Werling looks over the layers of wall paper that once covered thewall and ceiling inside the former opera house in Delphi Wednesday,November 1, 2006. Artists performing in the opera house often wouldsign their names on the wall. With the help of a grant, restoration willbegin on the opera house. The building on the east side of thedowntown Delphi square was constructed in 1864. It was remodeled toinclude the opera house in 1882. Werling is president of the DelphiPreservation Society. (Photo: JOURNAL & COURIER)

“You canʼt pay all these people to do what theyʼre doing because wewouldnʼt be able to survive financially,” Miller said.

The resulting upgrades are a mix of past and present. A grand staircasesweeps visitors from the lobby to second-floor art and reading rooms. Thethird floor captures attention with its warm interior and light wood coloring.Deep maroons, greens and golds jump off the curtains and intricatewallpaper patterns, which offset a wide stage. Ten-thousand square feet,including a banquet hall, kitchen and more, have been added.

The original glass, which appears rippled to 21st-century eyes, remains.Maroon curtains from Target grace the alcoves housing sound equipment.Small unpatched scrapes and painted-over splinters dot the space. Carryingauthenticity, the imperfections tell a story, Brosman said.

“If you would have come in as an individual or a group and repurposed it andreconfigured it, it would have lost something or seem almost sacrilegious tochange it and make it something completely different,” she said.

The restorations cost more than $4 million, Werling said. More than$2,500,000 came from Stellar — specifically the Office of Community andRural Affairs and the Indiana Housing and Community DevelopmentAuthority — and the rest was pledged by the preservation society, she said.The Jeffris Family Foundation and others have contributed to the society,which also has a capital campaign to raise money toward the debt, she said.

But the project is not yet complete. The storied single entry and exit, whichis the original stairwell that leads to the street, hasnʼt been fully refurbished.The mural on the back wall needs to be sealed. An archive room will houseresearch. And at some point that is yet unscheduled, Werling said thepreservation society would like to restore what was once a green room forperformers in the building next door.

The right entertainment

While the history of a venue is enchanting, its programming must deliver aswell.

Stein said that means successful answers to these questions: What does acommunity want? What does it need? What will it support?

No one-size-fits-all solution exists, he said. For example, at the GeorgetownPalace Theatre in Georgetown, Texas — a venue about 30 miles north of thelive music capital of Austin — this meant producing community theater, he

said. For others, it s̓ programming traveling shows that fit a smaller stage.

Jeff Daniels performed at the Delphi Opera House in October2015. (Photo: Photo provided/Mike Lang from M Lang Photography)

Although venues in small towns might not have to directly compete withsimilar performance spaces, they must contend with other easily accessibleentertainment.

“Your biggest competition usually isnʼt another theater or anotherperformance space ... (it s̓) time and whether or not you can convince youraudience, ‘Donʼt turn on the TV tonight — come out and see a liveperformance,̓” Stein said.

“So I always tell theaters, ‘Your biggest competition is ... “Dancing With theStars” or “The Voice” or whatever.̓”

For its inaugural season, Brosman said the venue put together an eclecticmix of artists that would appeal to several audiences.

Thirty-two event days ran from October 2015 through June 2016. Thisseason, theyʼre planning for at least 30 shows. So far, the biggest splash hasbeen actor Jeff Daniels, who played with the Ben Daniels Band. Singer-songwriter Kelley McRae, comedian Drew Hastings and bluegrass band TheWhipstitch Sallies also have graced the stage. Local artists and ensembles,including Scott Greeson and Trouble with Monday and Purdue MusicalOrganizationsʼ Heart and Soul, have performed there as well.

Their prices reflect a variety of events, too, ranging from free to $100 lastyear. Werling said the average ticket cost was about $21, not including thefree concerts, which were meant to give back to the community and offer ano-risk opportunity to try out the theater.

Contributing to the season costs are sponsors — 22 are listed in the fallperformances booklet — facility rentals and ticket sales, Werling andBrosman said. Grants have helped the opera house host free concerts, theysaid.

As Brosman refines the programming plan, she said, she s̓ taking note ofwhom they are attracting. For the first season, Brosman and Werling saidbetween 30 and 40 percent of concertgoers were from Lafayette and WestLafayette.

They aim to reach audiences inside Delphi and beyond its borders. Almost2,900 people reside in the city, about 8,000 in the ZIP code and more than20,000 in Carroll County, according to 2010 U.S. census data. Thepopulation of the five counties touching Carroll is more than 350,000, thedata state.

When the lights are out

The opera house defines the intimate performance setting.

Without tables or space for dancing, the bottom floor holds about 200

patrons seated, and the balcony accommodates an additional 33. Audiencemembers are spread wider than they are deep, which creates a relativelyclose proximity to the stage, even for those in the back row. Zeroing in onthe performer is easy.

“You felt like you were close enough to the stage that you could get eyecontact with every single person,” said Pete Circle, a patron and restaurantowner in Delphi. “It s̓ more engaging to the crowd, you know. It s̓ notoverwhelming.”

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Metal brackets on the balcony Tuesday, October 25, 2016, at the DelphiOpera House in Delphi. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

Performers have an enviable view as well. The opportunity to sit on such ahistoric stage — one that even retains the limelight trough that illuminatedthe acts — isnʼt lost on the artists who play the opera house.

Before his 2015 show, Daniels told the Journal & Courier he loved venues likethis.

“The fact that a community like Delphi, you know, put in the time and moneyto redo it, youʼve got to come. Youʼve got to go and play places like that,”Daniels said.

“I want to be one of the people that goes to Delphi and plays that new operahouse versus just goes to Chicago and goes on to Minneapolis orsomething.”

In the middle of her September show, singer-songwriter Carrie Newcomercalled the venue a gem.

For those who have come back, the space has the same magic. In June,Post saw the premiere of her play, “All Washed Up.” She grew up in Delphiand now lives in Danville, Indiana.

“It s̓ not lost on me that James Whitcomb Riley read there, you know, andthen my work has been there,” Post said.

“It gives me chills.”

***

A fresh look for Delphi

Hang out in Delphi for a bit, and youʼll notice a personable atmosphere.

People on the street will give you detailed directions if youʼre turned around.Greetings from workers behind the counter at eateries arenʼt perfunctory.Business owners sometimes hang closed signs in the window or postrevised hours on Facebook when they attend important family events — andeveryone wishes them well.

The spirit is evident to newcomers and longtime residents alike. Miller knew

shortly after he moved to town in 1968 that it would be his home. It was thepeople, he said.

Circle echoes this. He and his wife, who is the principal of Delphi CommunityHigh School, live in the Battle Ground area but are very much involved inDelphi. After becoming the owner of the Sandwich Shop and now the newBrick and Mortar Pub, he s̓ met many residents over the past few years.

“It s̓ neat to be involved with a small town where when you walk down thestreets or walk to Wallmann s̓ (Quality Foods) or get in your car to leave, youlook in the window of a car or business and you know (people),” Circle said.

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An original mural from Delphi Opera House still remains on stageTuesday, October 25, 2016, at the Delphi Opera House inDelphi. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

Four years after its designation as a Stellar Community, Delphi is finishing up

a multipart plan to improve its downtown and trails with the intention ofboosting its economy, quality of life and tourism. Mayor Shane Evans andStrasser said the strategic community investment plan has received about$18 million in state and federal funding from the program, which comprisesstate agencies that partner to support development in smaller communities.

City funds and matches from property owners are among other sources thatpaid for Stellar improvements. The opera house renovations did not use localtax dollars, according to a Delphi city document that tallied the totals.

With the opera house as a centerpiece of the project, other parts of the planinclude improved downtown facades, funds to renovate houses in coreneighborhoods, loft apartments, street lighting, new curbs, sidewalks and aconnecting trail.

The city still is wrapping up streetscapes, a trail project and housingrenovations, Evans said.

Many say these improvements are welcome, that the developmentcounteracts some difficulties and uncertainties Delphi has endured over thepast decade-plus.

When major employers Globe Valve and Chromcraft Revington closed in2005 and 2008, respectively, the city lost 700 jobs, according to Journal &Courier archives.

U.S. Census data show Delphi as having 3,015 residents in 2000 and 2,893in 2010. Carroll County s̓ population remained practically the same over the10-year period, according to the data.

Opinions have been mixed about the Hoosier Heartland highway. Thesection between Lafayette and Delphi was completed in 2012 and takesmotorists around the city instead of through it, as Old Indiana 25 did. Whiletraffic is more comfortable in four lanes instead of two, some have worried

the new quick route would make it easier for drivers to pass up Delphicompletely instead of stopping in.

“With ... the gravity that s̓ created by Purdue and Lafayette and WestLafayette, with a four-lane highway, how do we keep some of the gravityhere and become part of that gravity and not just dry up and have things falldown?” said Strasser, who was mayor when Delphi was selected as a Stellardesignee.

Now, along with businesses including Bill s̓ Rock Shop, the Sandwich Shopand others, Strasser said Delphi has something that will stand out and theroom to grow is in place. Evans said persuading people to visit once,whether through the Indiana Bacon Festival or another avenue, helps themrealize return visits are worth it. The popular summer festival brought in9,000 people this year, said Julia Leahy, executive director of the CarrollCounty Chamber of Commerce.

The changes have come with some doubt, however. Strasser, Miller andMcCain have heard the skepticism. While Circle served up food at hisSandwich Shop, he said some customers told him they thought the operahouse renovations were a waste of taxpayer money.

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Metal brackets on the balcony Tuesday, October 25, 2016, at the DelphiOpera House in Delphi. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal & Courier)

Krista Watson, who owns Delphi Hardware and Paint with her husband, Jeff,said she thinks the opera house s̓ objective is a good idea but has mixedemotions.

She commended Brosman s̓ work at the venue and thought the renovationplans were beautiful, she said. Watson hasnʼt yet seen the completed projectbut attended a few activities there in the early stages of repairs, she said.

“I think Sara Brosman is doing a wonderful job,” Watson said.

But Watson would have preferred to see citizens have a choice to fundraiseor donate to make improvements for the Stellar work, she said.

“I am not a person who s̓ in favor of using taxpayersʼ money to promote or to

build an entity such as this” regardless of whether the tax dollars were local,state or federal, she said.

Overall, Watson said she thought the Stellar changes were too drastic andoccurred too quickly.

“It couldʼve been kept to a minimum and still achieved a good purpose forthe buildings and community,” she said.

How the opera house fits in

As the centerpiece of the Delphi Stellar Project 2012, the opera house ismeant to help pull the downtown upgrades together.

When choosing designees, OCRA senior project manager Matt Crouch saidthe Stellar committee looks for a single central project that unites and drivesthe rest of the changes. Projects that have fit the bill include parks, officecenters for entrepreneurs and theaters, he said.

The performing arts hold a special place in community development.

“Ultimately, when youʼre looking at creating that quality of place, there s̓ theimportance of that creative class,” Crouch said.

“This project, and I think this program, is helping remind communities tofocus on that creative class as they look to develop and increase theirpopulation.”

Stein and Crouch also touted a small theater s̓ ability to boost thebusinesses around it. It can bring people back downtown outside workhours, Stein said, and cause them to dine out, hire a baby sitter and evenpurchase new clothes, depending on the show.

In a city with less than 50,000 people, one historic theater can create$950,000 in spending from it and its audiences, according to research from

Americans for the Arts and the League of Historic American Theatres. Thereport goes on to state that the same theater can sustain 27 full-timeequivalent jobs, create $84,000 of revenue for state and local governments,and supply $568,000 to household incomes.

The numbers come from averages of communities with similar populations,the research stated, and the estimates arenʼt a replacement for a city-specific economic study.

A theater also can work with other businesses to attract particular audiencesfor certain shows, Stein said.

“A theater has the ability to be as specific as its community needs to be andas broad as its community wants to be with its programming,” Stein said.

“So because of that, theaters are tremendous economic generators thatdonʼt just feed themselves.”

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Artists who have performed, including Jeff Daniels and the Ben DanielsBand, leaves their signatures backstage Tuesday, October 25, 2016, atthe Delphi Opera House in Delphi. (Photo: John Terhune/Journal &Courier)

Downtown revitalization was a central reason for restoring the Delphi OperaHouse, Werling said.

“Let s̓ do it right,” Werling said. “Let s̓ make this a performing arts venue andcommunity center that will not only be there for our residents but which willdraw people from outside and help us to restore the vitality of the downtown,as well as the building.”

Brosman said she has already worked with restaurants, including GardenGate Tea House. When out-of-town groups come for lunch, for example, theestablishment suggests they tour the opera house and vice versa, she said.

Werling said the venue s̓ close proximity to Martha Rose gifts and interiors,the Opera House Gallery of Contemporary Art and the Stone HouseRestaurant and Bakery bumps up the businessesʼ traffic on event days. Forexample, Times Past Antiques vendor Billie Hedde stayed open an extra hourto accommodate the number of guests who came to shop after leaving the“Abraham Lincoln Through Song” show in February 2016, she said.

“I think businesses can feed off of what the opera house is doing and thecanal is doing,” Hedde said.

Circle, who owns the new Brick and Mortar Pub on East Main Street, seesthe venue as a vital part of the nightlife he wants to create downtown. Themomentum in Delphi is a factor Circle feels he can harness and help grow.

His pub boasts a comfortable menu with familiar food in an atmospherewhere he wants people to feel they can fit in, Circle said.

While each touts the other in posters and conversations, Circle said he has

been in talks with the opera house to see what kind of in-depth cross-promotion they can do.

“It s̓ like taking a trip to a town and knowing that they only have that onething that we like to do over there, so that s̓ nice,” Circle said.

“But if you can ... create more things to do than a one-stop shop and leave, Ithink that makes people s̓ decision really easier for them to say that theywant to go to town.”

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The power of the past

Maybe people crave the sense of identity embedded in history. Or maybetheyʼre simply fascinated with the differences between the past and present.

Delphi s̓ Wabash & Erie Canal has come to symbolize the power historywields. The interpretive center, grounds and trails have become adestination point, and it is enough of a part of Delphi s̓ identity that its canalboat is pictured on the city trademark.

Once an eyesore with stagnant water that smelled and provided acomfortable home to mosquitoes and algae, the canal transformationprocess began in the 1970s when an association formed, McCain said. Thespot includes a museum that explores the canal s̓ story and impact onDelphi; a multibuilding village that includes a contractor s̓ home,smokehouse and fur trapper s̓ cabin; and a network of trails.

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The Delphi Opera House as seen from the Carroll County Courthousesquare Tuesday, October 25, 2016, in Delphi. (Photo: JohnTerhune/Journal & Courier)

The canal has many similarities to the Delphi Opera House and Stellarproject. Devoted volunteers cleaned up the space and continue to run it. Andit took some proving — many people initially felt the improvements were awaste of time, McCain said. Nonetheless, the association s̓ vision andcommunity membersʼ hard work helped change the tide.

“We lost major industries and ... it did hurt because that was the lifeblood ofthe community for a while,” McCain said.

“The north end of Delphi was kind of a down area ... and then the canalcould show and illustrate, ‘Hey, you know what? This is not such a bad-looking area after all. There s̓ lots of things we might be able to do to sprucethis up.̓”

While the history magnet reaches far and wide, its manifestation in theatersis especially present with the younger crowd. Community leaders say theywould like to draw this population segment to Delphi.

“I know when I came back from college and saw what theyʼve done with thefacades ... I didnʼt realize how beautiful some of these buildings were, justthe architectural style of them, until the facades had been worked on,” Evanssaid.

Stein said staying true to a historic space is a marketing advantage andgalvanizes fundraising help for the inevitable repairs old venues require.Mustering funds is difficult, he said, but community investment — once won— sticks. Staying on top of repairs and rolling out superior programming arethe two biggest future challenges for theaters like the opera house, Steinsaid.

“(People and especially the younger generation) love an authenticexperience, and a small vintage theater is much more attractive to the youngcommunity than a brand new performing arts center because of the intimacyand the history that the younger generation actually considers to be part ofthe show experience,” Stein said.

Certainly that helped Brosman book Daniels. His agent responded to hercold call, she said, largely because the actor and musician admires historicalspaces.

“Places like Delphi need you to come in and celebrate opera houses likethat. ... That s̓ the entertainment history of this country, places like that,”Daniels told the J&C before his 2015 show at the opera house.

Those heavily involved maintain the excitement that has driven them allalong.

“The very first time I was up on the stage, just sort of the hair on the back of

your neck, you know, kind of stands up and you sort of sense what it musthave been like playing from that stage to audiences, ladies in hoop skirts andgents in their ... suits or vests, their top hats tucked under their chairs,”Werling said.

“Now when you stand on that stage and you look out, it s̓ the same type ofexperience, only you know there are real people out there. It s̓ just anamazing room, and to see it alive again is just kind of overwhelmingsometimes.”

By the numbers

According to the Delphi Opera House, the venue:

• Sold 30 to 40 percent of its tickets to Lafayette and West Lafayetteresidents.

• Has 30 to 45 percent of its patrons coming from outside Delphi.

• Broke even or made money on all shows except for the Metropolis Quartetduring its first season.

• Sells 44 percent of tickets online.

Upcoming events

At the Delphi Opera House, 109 S. Washington St. in Delphi

Tickets available at delphioperahouse.org.

• “Frankenstein” Radio Play with Lafayette Civic Theatre: 7p30 p.m. Monday.$10-$25.

• Singer Karli Edging: 7p30 p.m. Nov. 4. $15-$35.

• Songs My Mother Sang: Glory-June Greiff with a Veterans Day tribute. 3

p.m. Nov. 6. Free.

• A Christmas Carol: 7p30 p.m. Nov. 18-19. 3 p.m. Nov. 20. $10-$15.

• Harpeth Rising: Chamberfolk on banjo, violin and cello. 7p30 p.m. Dec. 9.$25-$50.