Annie Russell Theatre

Annie Russell Theatre
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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Location	Winter Park, Florida
Coordinates	28°35′33″N81°20′53″W / 28.59250°N 81.34806°W / 28.59250; -81.34806
Built	1932
NRHP reference No.	98000863 [1]
Added to NRHP	July 15, 1998

The Annie Russell Theatre is a historic theater in Winter Park, Florida, United States. The theatre was named after the English-born actress Annie Russell. It was designed by the German-born architect Richard Kiehnel of Kiehnel and Elliott and constructed in 1931. It is located on the premises of Rollins College. On July 15, 1998, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

History

Russell emigrated to the United States at an early age. After a lengthy acting career in New York City, she relocated to New Jersey when she retired, however quickly changed her mind and moved to Winter Park in 1923. Shortly thereafter, she began teaching at Rollins College, continuing to do so until she died of lung disease in 1936.

The theatre is rumored to be haunted. Visitors to the theatre have claimed to have seen a female apparition in the second story changing room. However, due to recent structural modifications, this room can no longer be accessed. ^[2]

Productions

Main Stage

Season	Title	Playwright	Director	Notes
2022/2023	A Doll’s House, Pt 2	Lucas Hnath	T. Ouellette
	Water by the Spoonful	Quiara Alegría Hudes	N. Bazo
	As You Like It	William Shakespeare	E. Zivot
	Into the Woods	James Lapine & Stephen Sondheim	M. Barnes
2023/2024	The 39 Steps	Patrick Barlow	M. DiQuattro
	Metamorphoses	Mary Zimmerman	T. Ouellette & N. Bazo	Celebrated the opening of the Sally K. Albrecht Studio Theatre
	A Raisin in the Sun	Lorraine Hansberry	F. Chivaughn
	The Prom	Chad Beguelin, Bob Martin, & Matthew Sklar	M. Barnes
2024/2025	Bike America	Mike Lew	E. Zivot
	Pride & Prejudice	Kate Hamill	P. O’Keef
	Everybody	Branden Jacobs-Jenkins	M. DiQuattro
	Carrie: The Musical	Michael Gore, Dean Pitchford, & Lawrence D. Cohen	M. Barnes
2025/2026	Iphigenia in Aulis	Euripides (Transadapated by Anne Washburn)	M. DiQuattro
	Let the People Sing	Conner Chaumley, Yasmine Hudson, Max Payton & Marianne DiQuattro	E.B. Haynes	An original work
	POTUS	Selina Fillinger	M. Barnes
	Anastasia: The Musical	Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty, & Lynn Ahrens	D. Charles

Second Stage

Season	Title	Playwright	Director	Notes
2024/2025	The Grown-Ups	Simon Henriques & Skylar Fox	MG Meyer
	Lost Girl	Kimberly Belflower	R. Kalski
	Nowheresville	Lexi Shroll	K. Cohen	Shroll is an alumni of the theatre program

Notable Alumni

• Janis Hirsch '72 — Fraiser
• Christopher Fitzgerald '95 — Chicago
• Katherine Waddell '14 — Dinner in America
• Isabella Ward '15 — West Side Story
• Juan Carlos '23 — Stranger Things: The First Shadow

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. Norman, Michael; Scott, Beth (2002). Haunted Heritage: A Definitive Collection of North American Ghost Stories. pp. 87–90. Retrieved May 16, 2012– via GoogleBooks.

External links

• Orange County listings at National Register of Historic Places
• Annie Russell Theatre at Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
• Winter Park Historical Trail (Archived 2009-10-25) at Historic Hiking Trails( Archived 2009-10-23 at the Wayback Machine 2009-10-25)
• Annie Russell Theatre at Rollins College Department of Theatre & Dance
• Notable Architects in St. Petersburg - Richard Kiehnel at City of St. Petersburg