Flash back to 1926, when Salem had a population of 25,000, and the city was abuzz with excitement about a palatial new Tudor Gothic playhouse built by attorney and art connoisseur George B. Guthrie.
The Elsinore Theater was named after the 16th-century castle in William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and heralded as the “largest and most lavish theater between Portland and San Francisco” when it opened its doors May 28, 1926.
The opening was such a big deal that The Oregon Statesman dedicated an eight-page section to preview coverage…