The Astounding Story of the Grand Opera House

By Alana T.

Walking through the door, many visitors are blasted with a sense of nostalgia. Located on Broad Street, the Story Theater’s rich history continues to amaze visitors even 110 years after its opening. To better understand the history and operation of this wonderful theater, I contacted the owner and operator, Todd Thorson. Mr. Thorson gave many interesting insights into the history of the theater, how he runs it, and other aspects of this historical site. 

The theater first opened its doors on December 18, 1913. Originally called the Grand Opera House, it hosted a variety of stage productions. These productions included motion pictures, stage plays, graduation ceremonies, and vaudeville acts. The first production put on by the theater was the melodrama stage play “The Two Orphans,” complete with an orchestra. At the time of its opening, the theater was the second-largest theater west of the Mississippi. The tickets were sold at $3 a piece, a relatively high price for the time. 

Shortly after the grand opening, the theater began to introduce motion pictures. The first motion picture presented at the theater was “Birth of a Nation” in 1917. The theater continued to alternate between live performances and motion pictures; however, it eventually became financially unsustainable and they had to cease. The last stage performance was performed in 1947. Fortunately, though, the stage was restored in 1988, allowing live theater to return to Story City. Since then, the theater has continued to make advancements and upgrades, while also keeping the original charm and appearance of the theater.

Some changes needed to be made to the theater to keep it current with the times, while others were simply upkeep for the unique features. After almost 100 years with the 35mm film projection format, an update was required. Because of advancing technology, the theater was able to install a film platter automated system in the projection booth. This means a few things for the theater. Firstly, it means that only one projector is needed. Secondly, it means film reels are spliced together onto the platter and fed into the projector. Operation is easier now because all you have to do is turn on the projector and the film can run without interruption. Other updates to the theater include a Dolby surround sound system, a new electrical system, and a new red curtain. Even with all the updates to the theater, it still has the distinctly unique feel of an old theater. 

In addition to the aforementioned changes, the theater has been under 14 different owners. Notable past owners include Iver Egenes (the original owner), and Lewis and Mae Peterson, who passed it on to their sons, Richard and Virgil Peterson. Richard did a lot in his time as owner to get the theater placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The current owner of the Story Theater/Grand Opera House is Todd Thorson, who is in his 40th year of ownership. 

Mr. Thorson never planned on owning and operating a theater; in fact, he worked at the Story City Herald for a time. He came to own the theater because he helped the previous owners who then offered it to him while he was still in college. Although it was an unexpected path, he is proud of the theater and finds the job very fulfilling. As an owner, he experiences the good and the bad in the theater. 

Just like any business, running the theater takes a lot of time and work. Along with owning the theater, Mr. Thorson has always worked a second job. During the week he works at the US Postal Service, but during the weekend he runs the theater. This means that he works every week and weekend. This makes it hard for him to find time for friends, family, and himself. It’s not all bad, though; he identified many benefits of his work at the theater. For him, seeing people enjoy the theater—losing themselves in the movie and experiencing a range of emotions—is the best part of his work. Mr. Thorson says that almost everyone who comes to the theater gains a deep sense of appreciation for it. In fact, he said, “I rarely, if ever, have anything negative said about visiting and attending this special place.” The theater continues to delight people with its original charm and history, ensuring that it continues to attract movie-lovers and history-buffs alike. 

As time has passed, the theater has stayed relatively the same. But new, more modern theaters have become more common around the world. When asked about this modernization of theaters, Mr. Thorson said that “[i]t has created a conflict of sorts, with those who want the ‘comfort’ and ‘modernization’ of the fancy, bigger theaters.” He mentions that the modernization of this theater is possible, but a lot of time and money would have to be put into it. In addition, that modernization could take away vital, historical aspects of the theater that make it a unique attraction. Fortunately, any decision like that won’t be made any time soon. 

According to Mr. Thorson, “[the theater] has never been closed to this day, other than for six months back when the pandemic hit.” This means that every weekend the theater must be prepared for the upcoming shows. The most important part of this preparation is choosing the movie that will be shown that weekend. To do this, he keeps up on the current movie trends and compares that with what he thinks the community would enjoy. The movies he chooses can be anything from major studio titles to independent films. 

Once the movie is chosen, the theater itself must be prepped for the coming shows. After receiving the movie on a digital drive, he downloads the movie and previews onto the computer program that runs the projector. After that, it’s a simple matter of previewing the movie and doing any other last-minute preparations for the weekend. This process of preparation has been repeated in some variation for more than 100 years.

The final question I asked Mr. Thorson was about the importance of local businesses. He said that “[l]ocal businesses are of vital importance to small towns like Story City.” Additionally, he talked about how much Broad Street has changed in his lifetime. He hopes that the street can be revitalized for future generations because he remembers the experiences it gave him. 

The historic Story Theater/Grand Opera House is an important part of what makes Story City so special. It’s a staple of the main street that brings many people joy and lets them discover some of the past. I would encourage everyone to go support our local theater and appreciate its history. This weekend the theater is showing "Unsung Hero," an inspirational faith-based true story of the Christian musical group For King + Country.

To learn more about the theater’s showtimes, you can visit their Facebook page.