National Theater.

On this tour, we stopped by the National Theater but this time we got to go inside it rather than just remaining in the lobby.  Just a recap in that it took 7 years to build and cost about $1,000,000 to complete a theater that will seat 1140 people.  This theater has one thing most theaters do not have.

The chairs on the main floor of the theater, just in front of the stage are removable.  When they need more of a stage then you see there, they take out all the chairs on the main floor before going underneath and using a bunch of people they make the floor rise to the level of the stage.  The mechanism requires people to push bars around and around which makes other things move that raises the stage.

The theater has three levels in addition to the main floor.  The highest level is where the cheapest tickets are.  Originally, only those with money could afford to go and to make sure the unwanted would not come in, they made a rule that you had to have shoes.  The poor did not have shoes so even if they could find the money, they could not have gotten in.

This is a picture of the ceiling.  The picture was hand pained in Italy, rolled up and shipped all the way over to Costa Rica before it was installed.  

This bank note which is out of circulation has a copy of the picture found on the ceiling of the theater just above the waiting area to go into the presidential stall or into the waiting room.  This is the Italian interpretation of Costa Rica.  It is noted that all the workers have shoes which they would not have had.  The women are wearing something they would not have worn and many are much paler than they would have been.

This is a copy of the painting on the ceiling.  You can see it is essentially the same, just a bit darker.

This is the room where the rich mingled and enjoyed time together before the performances and during intermission.  There is a piano, sculptures, places to sit comfortably.  None of the poor were allowed in here.

There are two small rooms, one on each side of the salon.  This is a picture of the one where men gathered to carry out business, smoke cigars, and be away from the women.  The other room, is about the same size but it is where women would have congregated.

This theater is still in use even today but in between times, tours bring people through to see everything.  The lobby has four statues in a Grecian style representing dance, music, comedy, and tragedy.  

The only changes made to the theater over the years is the installation of water and electricity, otherwise it is exactly as it had been when it opened in 1897.  Let me know what you think, I'd love to hear.  Have a great day.