The sponsors of the Bijou Theatre, Foxy Howard and Percy Wells, also commissioned Stephens to design the Royal Theatre, which likewise featured a boldly designed façade in a free classical style. A special feature of the electrified marquee sign was the series of rabbits that hopped around the edges, reputedly the first animated business sign in Wilmington. The theater was thoroughly renovated in 1938. It was one of several buildings destroyed by fire in 1949, along with the famed Orton Hotel.