Images of America: Thalian Hall


By purchasing Images of America: Thalian Hall by late Executive & Artistic Director, D. Anthony Rivenbark, directly from Thalian Hall, all proceeds will go to support this beautiful historic theatre! Released in August 2014, this book gives a history of the Hall through images from across  the years.


Thalian Hall is one of the oldest and most beautiful theaters in America. Forming the east wing of Wilmington's iconic city hall, this dual-purpose building has been at the center of the community's cultural and political life since it first opened in 1858. Thalian Hall is the only surviving theater designed by John Montague Trimble, one of America's foremost 19th-century theater architects. It was built at a time when Wilmington was the largest city in North Carolina. Thalian Hall is the embodiment of a tradition of performance that stretches back for over two centuries. It has hosted Shakespearean tragedies, musical concerts, and even boxing and wrestling events. For generations, Wilmington audiences have witnessed touring stars, local actors, musicians, dancers, and movies in a parade of performances and celebratory events. The story of Thalian Hall is an embroidered tapestry reflecting the history of the American theater and the community that built it.



About The Author

Tony Rivenbark was the Executive and Artistic Director of Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. from 1979 to his death in July 2022. He was an established actor having performed in more than 200 productions and made his debut on the Thalian Hall stage in 1966. A North Carolina native, he has a BA in History and Theatre from UNCW where he was listed in the Who’s Who of American College and Universities.  In 1996 Tony received the Lower Cape Fear Historic Society Cup for his work with the research on Thalian Hall and the Thalian Hall Archives Collection. He was awarded Wilmington’s Lifetime Achievement for the Arts in 2004. 

He was a past board member of the League of Historic American Theatres and was the second recipient of the LHAT Individual Award in 2005.  He was recently honored by the Wilmington Star News as the recipient of the 2014 Enduring Contribution to Wilmington Theatre Award, and The Historic Wilmington Foundation's Thomas & Elizabeth Wright Award for Lifetime Achievement in Preservation. 

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