HISTORIC FALLON HOUSE THEATRE

Fallon House Theatre History

A stone cutter from Ireland, Owen Fallon arrived in Columbia with his family in 1856. In 1857, he bought a boarding house known as the Maine House and operated it until it burned in the great fire of 1857. Fallon rebuilt but the second building was also destroyed by fire in 1859. Having learned his lesson, the third building was built of brick and opened in 1860 as the Fallon House.

Owen Fallon's son James built a new dance hall and theatre behind the hotel in 1885. The dance floor was supported by iron springs and was known for its "bounce". From 1890 to 1944 ownership changed hands often as did the name. It was known as the Kress Hotel, the Columbia Hotel and Opera House, the Smith Hotel and the Columbia Inn.

The University of the Pacific owned the building up until 1947 when the California State Park System purchased it as part of the beginnings of Columbia State Historic Park. The theatre continued to be used by University of the Pacific theatrical students for summertime performances until 1982.

In 1983, the entire structure was restored and opened as the Fallon House Hotel and Theatre. After the restoration, the Columbia Community College Drama Department produced shows at the theatre as Columbia Actor's Repertory until 1997.

Sierra Repertory Theatre at the Fallon

In the fall of 1997, Sierra Repertory Theatre expanded into the Historic Fallon House Theatre. It was a homecoming to the management of Sierra Rep. It was there that the five founding members met as staff and actors of University of Pacific's summer stock program.

Since taking over at the Fallon, Sierra Rep has produced shows particularly well suited to the Fallon's historic and western nature such as Annie Get Your Gun, Oklahoma and Paint Your Wagon.