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50 Years

CORTLAND REPERTORY THEATRE HITS A MAJOR MILESTONE THIS SUMMER

By Tanner Harding

Kerby Thompson stands in front of the pavilion where summer shows are held. (Photo: Ash Bailot)

Just in time for summer...

The Cayuga Nature Center Lodge reopens June 18th!

Explore exhibits & aquaria, and say hello to the indoor animals! Lodge hours: Sat/Sun 10am-5pm

cayuganaturecenter.org | 1420 Taughannock Blvd. Ithaca, NY

Cortland Repertory Theatre is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and kicking it off with a performance of “Hair” on June 8 at 7:30 p.m. Before the show the theater is hosting a pre-show reception at Little York Pavilion, 6799 Little York Lake Road in Preble, from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. There will be proclamations made by both the city and county of Cortland in honor of the anniversary, according to Producing Artistic Director Kerby Thompson.

So how did CRT get its start? In the winter of 1971-72, Dr. James Palmer, who was the associate director of theater at SUNY Cortland, and David Yaman, a real estate developer, noticed a need for a summer theater experience for Central New York residents and visitors.

With 23 charter members, CRT opened its doors on July 5, 1972 in the Pavilion at Dwyer Memorial Park on Little York Lake. For the next six years, the theater played an eight-week season, after which the format was changed to five plays running for two weeks each. In 1998, a sixth production was added to the schedule.

Thompson was hired in 2000, and since then CRT has undergone much growth. A 2005 capital campaign allowed for a sprinkler system and accessible elevator to be installed at the Little York Pavilion, and five years later a former bowling alley in downtown Cortland was purchased with plans to convert it into a year-round venue for the theater. After raising $2.5 million in five years, CRT Downtown opened. The new venue allows for stand-up comedy, concerts, cabaret nights, community dances and proms, alongside CRT productions, to be held year-round.

Since its first season in 1972, which opened with “Fiddler on the Roof,” “The Fantastiks,” “You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown,” “Robin Hood,” and “The Bremen Town Musicians,” there has only been one “intermission” season in which no shows were performed — the summer of 2020, while the world was still learning how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The theater bounced back in summer of 2021 with “The Honky Tonk Angels,” “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)”, “Goin’ to the Chapel,” “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and “Pirate Schmirate!”

In its 50 years, the theater has performed classics like “West Side Story” and “Les Miserables,” as well as lesser-known tales like “The House at Pooh Corner” and “The Kitchen Witches.” This summer the schedule include “Hair,” “Over the River and Through the Woods,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Treasure Island,” “Murder on The Orient Express,” “Upcycled Cinderella,” and “Mary Poppins.” There are generally three musicals and three non-musicals each season.

For more information on CRT or to purchase tickets for shows, visit cortlandrep.org

S U M M E R I T H A C A 2 0 2 2 Back in Time

VISIT THE PAST WITH A TRIP TO THE 1890 HOUSE IN CORTLAND

By Tanner Harding

If you’re looking to explore a little local history on a rainy day — or just out of the blazing summer sun — The 1890 House in Cortland offers a reprieve from the outdoors. The stately mansion is located on 37 Tompkins St. in downtown Cortland and is open for tours Thursday-Saturday from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and on Sunday from noon-4 p.m. Guided tours are the best way to explore the house and can be booked ahead of time online, of you can take your chances as a walkin.

The tour guides will bring you through the four floors of the impressive house, and tours last between an hour and an hour-and-a-half. They cover the Wickwire family history, servant life in the home, and the social customs of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The guided tours do up to the second and third floors plus the cupola, so contact the museum ahead of time if you need an accessibilityfriendly tour.

House admission, which is for guided tours or self-guided tours, is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, $10 for military and students, $5 for children ages 6-18, and free for children 5 and younger. Additionally, active duty military and their families receive free admission from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day.

Ardell Rouse Wickwire, her husband Chester Wickwire, and their children Charles and Frederic moved into the mansion in 1890. As the lady of the house, Ardell was in charge of running the house and supervising the staff, whom she met with every morning to go over daily assignments. Ardell was also heavily involved in the community as a member of the Finance and Entertainment Committees of the Cortland Library Association and the Social Committee and Women’s Auxiliary of the YMCA. The family also donated $80,000 toward the construction of the Cortland Memorial Hospital.

Charles, the oldest child of Ardell and Chester, married his childhood friend Mabel Fitzgerald, and the couple built the red mansion to the left of the 1890 House, which now serves as the SUNY Cortland Alumni House.

In addition to learning about the Wickwires, you’ll also hear about their staff, such as cook Margaret Stack, an Irish immigrant from County Limerick.

The grand mansion and comfortable lifestyle of the Wickwires was funded by their successful wire-weaving factory. Their factory was located on South Main Street and made the family into millionaires. The business produced goods like barbed wire, chicken wire, wire screening, window screens, coal sieves, corn poppers, dish covers, strainers and horse muzzles. They even suppled wire for the building of the Panama Canal.

Wire Works was the largest employer in Cortland by 1910 and contributed greatly to the city’s industrial and economic growth.

The last Wickwire to live at the 1890 House died in 1973. A group of Cortland County leaders, including Wickwire family members, campaigned to preserve the house and it became a museum two years later. The house aims to promote and interpret the historical and cultural significance of the property, while teaching visitors about the cultural heritage of the time period.

An inside view of the 1890 House. (Photo: Ash Bailot)