The Charles Street-Times Theater, located in the 1700 Block of SVF, MDhs, is known as the oldest theater in Baltimore. It began its journey as a streetcar barn in 1892, when streetcars ran along Charles Street and the city center. At that time, there were few places for the black art scene in Baltimore, despite the large black population. Pennsylvania Avenue was one of the few centers, and the Teatro Real was a premiere venue for iconic musicians such as Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.
Further down the avenue, other places such as the Sphinx Club, the Club Casino and Club Tijuana hosted artists like Billie Holiday and Miles Davis. The Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is located in the iconic renovated Romanesque building Mercantile Trust & Deposit Company. This company seeks to explore why Shakespeare is so great and help people connect with classic works by him and other artists like Henrik Ibsen, Thornton Wilder, Charles Dickens and more. They offer morning school programs and free tickets for children to attend limited productions.
Show your pride in Baltimore with t-shirts, hats and hoodies featuring the Visit Baltimore logo.
