1920 Schubert Theatre
Gooding, Gooding County
- Grants: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 – restoration of the entrance, 2023 – lobby restoration
Location: 402 Main Street, Gooding, ID 83330
The historic theater was built by Governor Frank R. Gooding for whom the county and city of Gooding is named. The theater was a wedding present for his daughter, Louise May Gooding, and Adam Schubert, his former secretary. When she was thirteen years old, Louise May Gooding christened one of four ships to bear the name USS Idaho. At the time, she was the youngest person to be given such an honor.
The walls of the theatre are brick, standing atop a concrete foundation, and the exterior facade is constructed of tile. The interior has six murals painted by Hugo Clausen and a hand painted backdrop of Shoshone Falls signed by Ernest Miller in 1920. The theatre initially hosted vaudeville acts, stage magicians, and was outfitted with a projection system for silent films. In 1930, sound equipment was added to accommodate ‘talkies’, and it was the only theatre in Idaho to receive the ‘Exhibitors Herald-World Award of Merit for the High Quality of Its Reproduction of Sound Pictures.’
Additional changes were made in 1946 and 1983 to keep up with the style trends of the day. In recent years, extensive restoration efforts have been made to walk back some of these changes (such as the boarding over of red tiles on the exterior) in order to return the theatre to closer to its original vision.
As of 2023, IHT is helping the theatre with architectural plans for restoration of the lobby. On the interior of the building the theater lobby includes the concession stand, recently restored to its original location. The dressing room doors, located behind the stage area, are original and include signatures from the actors who have performed at the theater.
The Theatre is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is currently under extensive restoration.
