Opera by Telephone in the Pacific Northwest, circa 1895.

This article traces the phenomenon of opera by telephone in late nineteenth-century British Columbia, with a focus on a local 1895 production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance (1879). Examining the scrapbooks of prominent New Westminster figure, William Andrew DeWolf-Smith, this research centres on an "ingenious telephone arrangement" that allowed remote audience members to listen to live theatrical performances via telephone (or "theatre phone"). This study considers the historical, technological, and theoretical aspects of the theatre phone, including its impact on theatre reception. With reference to sound studies scholar Adrian Curtin's work, this study investigates how the theatre phone created a novel listening experience, enabling a new form of private audio theatre among a network of synchronous "shadow audiences." The theatre phone represents a significant turning point in local media history, which is linked to broader developments in communications technologies during the period. In addition to examining its role as an emerging business venture, the author also explores its significance as an accessibility tool that enabled remote audiences to access theatrical performances from a distance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]