I learned some time ago, from Variety, Motion Pictures, Vaudeville, Theater, Vol. 56, 1919, that Donna played at the Colonial in Lancaster the week of September 15th, 1919. I had never found any newspaper articles about Donna Montran playing there, so I thought I’d take a deeper look and see what was playing at that theater then. Sure enough, I found her advertised there under the name Donna Montrain.
Show Advertising
The Lancaster Daily Intelligencer, the Lancaster New Era, and the Lancaster News Journal all ran ads showing Donna played at the Colonial on September 15, 16, and 17.
On the bill at the Colonial were:
- Ed. Janis & Girls – Songs—Dances—Music—Fun
- David Slack & Co. – “The Burglars’ Union:
- George Mack – Comical Songs and Stories
- Donna Montrain – Dainty Comedienne
- Pathe News—Larry Semon in “Simple Life.”
Theater Notes
Colonial Theatre, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Address: 134 North Queen Street, Lancaster, PA
Opened: January 29, 1912
Seating Capacity: Approximately 1,250
The Colonial Theatre opened in early 1912 as a modern, first-class vaudeville house on the northwest corner of North Queen and West Chestnut Streets.
Designed for both motion pictures and live performance, the Colonial offered vaudeville bills typically featuring Keith-style touring acts and a feature film.
When Donna performed there in September 1919, the Colonial stood as one of Lancaster’s principal entertainment venues..
As films grew increasingly dominant, the Colonial eventually shifted to movies only. In the mid-1950s, the house was acquired by Boyd Theatres, remodeled, and renamed the Boyd Theatre in 1956. It closed in 1965 and was demolished soon afterward during downtown redevelopment.
Today
Today, the Colonial’s location is within Binns Park, in front of the Lancaster County Government Center and the Lancaster County Archives.
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