Walker Theatre Center | Indianapolis, IN
Filed under Indianapolis
A rare example of African Deco styling (which featured African shields and spears, sphinxes, and chimpanzees), the Walker Theatre Center, located in the Madame C.J. Walker Building, was concieved by Madam C. J. Walker, America’s first black millionairess, after she was charged a higher price to attend another downtown theater because of her race.
Walker died in 1919, before the theater was finished, but her daughter A’Lelia completed the theater in her mother’s memory. The theater building also contained a ballroom, casino, beauty shop, pharmacy, and coffee shop. It was located in the heart of the Indiana Avenue Cultural District, the center of entertainment, business and pride for the City’s African American community from the 1920s to the 1950s. Recently, the building has undergone a complete restoration.
Today, the Madame Walker Theatre Center’s annual performing arts season opens in early October and continues until early May. Each season’s programs showcase the talents of local, regional, national and international artists.
Walker Theatre Center
617 Indiana Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46202
Phone: 317-236-2099
Official Website: www.walkertheatre.com
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