History:
The Pulse Opera House in Warren, Indiana was built in 1884 by Captain Silas Pulse. It was the second story of the general store owned by the Captain. The opera house served as a town meeting hall, dance hall and theatre. The most popular activities, however, were the traveling theatrical companies. In 1901, Charles Keller, Captain Pulse's son-in-law, became the new manager of the opera house. As the traveling companies began to disappear, there was an attempt to turn the Opera House into a movie theatre, dance hall and facility for home talent shows. In the 1940's the local Kiwanis Club took it over as their meeting location. They used the hall until the early 1970's when it was closed to the public. From 1970 until 1986 the opera house was used for storage. In 1986 a group was formed to restore the structure and recapture some of the glory of its earlier days. The stage was reconstructed, the ceiling ovals uncovered, and seating reinstalled. Under the direction of Cynthia Smyth-Wartzok and Ron Wartzok, the opera house has operated as a not-for-profit summer theatre. In recent years the Opera House has received international recognition with performances at two International Theatre Festivals in Germany.
