Matthews Opera House - "A Vibrant Century" Opened in 1906 the Matthews Opera House was the setting for stage productions and traveling shows through the 1930âs. Built by local Wyoming rancher, Thomas Matthews at a cost of $50,000, the Opera House opened on December 3, 1906 with a political farce-comedy called âThe Lion and the Mouseâ. Throughout the next 10 years the popularity of the Opera House remained unquestioned. Many traveling repertory companies paid repeated visits to the Matthews during that time. However, as the decade drew to a close in 1919, competition from âmoving picturesâ developed in Spearfish and fewer live performances were scheduled. Renamed âThe Princess Theaterâ in 1920, the Matthews was run primarily as a movie house over the next 10 years with occasional live shows still playing on the stage. However, the âgolden ageâ at the Opera House came to a halt in 1930 when the owner of the Princess Theater moved out and opened a new building down the street.
