Art-style 1932 community theater in Tulsa's Maple Ridge neighborhood, reportedly haunted by 'George,' a director who died on site, and 'Sarah,' a young dancer killed in a 1940s traffic accident.
1511 S Delaware Ave, Tulsa, OK 74104
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Event ticket prices vary; venue rentable for private events and weddings.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Restored historic theater with ground-level entry.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1932 · Founded as Tulsa Little Theater in 1922 · Permanent home completed 1932 in art-style mode · Center of Tulsa's community theater scene mid-20th century · 2004 restoration
Tulsa Little Theatre is the operating name of one of the longest-running community-theater traditions in Oklahoma. The company was organized in 1922 as the Tulsa Little Theater, with early productions staged in canvas tents, movie houses, and the American Legion building. In 1929 the company purchased land at the corner of 15th Street and South Delaware Avenue, intending to build its first permanent home.
Despite the onset of the Great Depression, construction proceeded, and the building was completed in 1932 in an art nouveau / art-style mode notable for its restrained massing and detailed plaster ornament. The first production in the new building was 'The Cradle Song.' Across the 1930s and 1940s the theater - by then frequently called the Delaware Playhouse - became the epicenter of Tulsa's community theater and amateur arts scene. The company that became Theatre Tulsa used the building as its home for approximately sixty years before moving on, and the building was renovated and reopened as an events and performance venue under the Tulsa Little Theatre name following a 2004 restoration.
Today the venue is available for ticketed productions, weddings, and private events, with original architectural detail preserved in the main hall and stage area.
Sources
Tulsa Little Theatre is one of the most-cited haunted venues in Tulsa, with paranormal claims documented by Legends of America, FOX23 Tulsa, NewsOn6, and various Oklahoma community-theater oral histories.
The most-cited spirit is 'George,' described by staff and performers as a producer and director who died of a heart attack during a rehearsal inside the theater. As recounted in NewsOn6's interview with theater staff: 'George was a producer, director of plays in here, back when the plays were being originally done. As we understand it, he was here for a rehearsal, had a heart attack and passed away.' No specific named historical individual is firmly tied to 'George' in publicly available archival sources, and the description is consistent with folk-attribution.
The second resident spirit is 'Sarah,' described as a young dancer who finished a dance recital, ran outside, and was struck and killed by a car on Delaware Avenue. The lore frames her as a recurring presence in the lobby and on the steps where she reportedly died. As with 'George,' no specific named child is firmly archivally attached to this story.
Reported phenomena across multiple accounts include bobbing balls of light near the stage curtain; apparitions appearing behind actors on stage; unseen touches on shoulders and arms backstage; backstage footsteps when no one else is in the building; and the sense of being watched from the empty seats during late-night rehearsals.
Because neither 'George' nor 'Sarah' is firmly identified to a documented historical person, this entry treats the claims as folkloric attribution attached to a real working theater rather than as named-person history.
Notable Entities
Media Appearances
Attend a performance or event at the historic 1932 Tulsa Little Theatre (also known as Delaware Playhouse). The building was the home of Theatre Tulsa for sixty years. Staff and performers describe encounters with 'George,' a director said to have died of a heart attack during a rehearsal, and 'Sarah,' a young dancer killed by a car outside the theater.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Ashland, KY
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