Standard Theatre (Philadelphia)

The Standard Theatre showcased Philadelphia's most talented black performers and jazz musicians in the early twentieth century. During its peak years (1915–1930), the Standard was one of Philadelphia's most famous and successful black theaters. Its exceptional success can be attributed to its owner, John T. Gibson, a black man who envisioned affordable entertainment for his own race.

The Standard Theatre (or Standard Theater) originally opened in 1888 on the 1100 block of South Street. The Standard was primarily a venue for local and traveling vaudeville programs. The Standard was located near Philadelphia's neighborhoods with the highest black population: for instance, 23% of Philadelphia's black citizens lived in the 7th ward of South Philadelphia alone. The theater would occasionally showcase black productions, such as in November 1897, when the theater presented Bob Cole and William Johnson's A Trip to Coontown, a musical created and performed by black men. In spite of this, the Standard maintained segregated admissions, alienating many of the black residents in the neighborhood.

Before 1914, the Standard Theatre had seen occasional yet sporadic black ownership. For example, a group of black investors from New York City led by Gibson Young leased the theater in 1913, with the promise of "altogether coloured management." In spite of its initial great success, business declined. By that October the Standard was again leased to white ownership, which returned to practicing segregation. This was a great emotional loss to the black community, who saw the Standard Theater finally becoming a site of entertainment for their own race.

John T. Gibson leased the Standard Theatre in January 1914. In an interview almost two years after his purchase, Gibson said the following: "When I bought the New Standard theater, I felt that there was a field in this city for good clean Negro vaudeville at popular prices." Gibson's premiere show opened with J. Lubrie Hill's Darktown Follies, a musical comedy featuring Southern rural characters. The Freeman described the event as a "decided success", and one that "Philadelphia can be proud of... the citizens will rally around Manager Gibson." The original ticket prices ranged from 25 cents to $1.00. In May, Gibson officially bought the Standard, becoming its sale owner and manager. At this point, the theater was valued at $70,000, making it one of the most valuable pieces of property owned by a single black man in the country.

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