The Modjeska Theater first opened in 1910 as a small, 840-seat theater at 7th and Mitchell Streets in Milwaukee. Named after the Polish actress Madame Helena Modjeska (1840-1909), the Modjeska Theatre was a posthumous tribute by the predominantly Polish-American community to the Polish icon. In 1924, the local Saxe Theatres chain bought the Modjeska and replaced it with a larger, 2,000-seat movie palace at the same address. Though lacking in ornamentation, the new Modjeska featured a full orchestra pit, a Barton pipe organ, and a stage floor laden with trap doors for vaudeville acts. The 1950s initiated a long and slow decline of the Modjeska. During the 1980s and 1990s, the theater changed ownership numerous times as operators struggled to keep it afloat. In the early 1990s, the Modjeska served as a 1,700-seat local acts venue. However, success was limited and the venue eventually closed in March 2010. Thanks to the photography of Roman Kwasniewski, however, the spirit of the Modjeska will live on.
Alex Welborn
Library and Archives Assistant
University of Kansas Medical Center