Athens Creative Theatre Circa 2002-2006

 

For a number of years this was the official website for the Athens Creative Theatre, located in Athens Georgia.
Formed in 1966, ACT continues to provide outstanding community theater. In addition to theatrical performances ACT offers a range of theater classes for youth and adults.
Content is from the site's 2002-2006 archived pages providing just a glimpse of what this site offered its visitors..

The current website for the Athens Creative Theatre is found at: www.athensclarkecounty.com/642/Athens-Creative-Theatre

 

 

Relevant: This is a lovely theater that not only gives back to the community, but also reaches out and involves the Athens Georgia community. When we moved, I was concerned we would not find a similar type of community theater. Fortunately, my concerns were assuaged from an unlikely source. During a conversation about local cultural activities, the topic of theater and what was available locally came up. I was suggested to check out the Narrows Community Theater. In addition to their shows, NCT offers opportunities to learn stage craft, musical theater performance, acting technique, dance, teamwork, and the “business of show business”. They were offering children and adult theater dance classes as well as singing and acting workshops. Additionally, NCT had a unique program involving brilliant cz rings (cubic zirconia), using them as props in their stage productions and teaching about the use of costume jewelry in theater. It's been a year now, and we have settled into our new lives. I still miss productions from the Athens Creative Theatre, but we always can catch a show there the next time we visit family in Athens.

 

 

The Last Five Years
The Last Five Years

Auditions are set for January 10th and 11th.
Call (706) 613-3628 beginning January 3rd to make your audition appointment.

Book, Music and Lyrics by: Jason Robert Brown

 

A contemporary song-cycle musical that ingeniously chronicles the five year life of a marriage, from meeting to break-up... or from break-up to meeting, depending on how you look at it. Written by Jason Robert Brown (Parade, Songs For A New World), The Last Five Years is an intensely personal look at the relationship between a writer and an actress told from both points of view.
The show is presented in "forward time" as we follow the story of their relationship from Jamie's perspective, starting with their first meeting and following through with their wedding and ultimate breakup. At the same time, Cathy relates the story in "reverse" - starting with their breakup and moving backwards in time until their first meeting at the end of the show. Made up mostly of solo turns, with beautiful music and alternately humorous and heartfelt lyrics, it is only in the middle of the show that Jamie and Cathy come together as Jamie proposes and the two are wed.
Musicals about relationships are nothing new, but The Last Five Years manages to reinvent the familiar formula and offers up one of the brightest, freshest scores of the new century.
"Brimming with persistent melodies, throughout lyrics and a heartfelt, compelling story"-Michael Kuchwara, Associated Press
"Unpredictably heartfelt insights, energized by a seductive, rhythmic drive"-Linda Winer, Newsday

 

For reservations please call the Athens Creative Theatre: (706) 613-3628
Box Office opens one week prior to opening night
Box Office Hours: 2pm to 6pm Tuesday through Saturday
Box Office opens one hour before each performance
$15 Adults, $12 Senior Citizens (55+), $10 Children & Students (Dinner - $21.95)

 

 

 

 

Athens Creative Theatre strives to provide a fun all inclusive theater experience for everyone no matter how much previous performance experience participants have. ACT encourages all performers ages eight and up to come enjoy the magic of theatrical performance. Auditioning for ACT is fun and easy, simply call and schedule an audition time for the production of your choice. Visit our "Shows" page for a complete listing of upcoming audition and performance times and dates

Audition Information

Auditions for the Athens Creative Theatre production of:
The Last Five Years
Auditions are January 10th and 11th.
Call 706-613-3628 beginning January 3rd to make your audition appointment.
Pre-Reading: Thursday, February 28, 6:45-9:45 PM Quinn Hall (Memorial Park). This will allow those who may not be familiar with the show to read through the script, listen to the songs, and ask questions about the production.
Performances: April 27-May 10 (Thursday, Fridays & Saturdays) at Quinn Hall at Memorial Park, 293 Gran Ellen Drive, Athens, GA 30606

Auditions for the Athens Creative Theatre production of:
“Rockin’ 50’s,” “Broadway Showstoppers,” “Dance! Dance! Dance!” “Solos from the Silver Screen” and more…. to be presented at the Athens Arts Festival will Auditions are January 10 & 11, 2006, by appointment only.
Call 706-613-3628 for an audition appointment.
Athens Creative Theatre is participating in the Athens Arts Festival in April and we need at least a dozen good soloists/performing groups/singing groups and dancers between the ages of 16 and 96. We will rehearse only one or two times per week to get ready for this massive festival in the spring. You can perform with your own friends, or become part of an ACT group. We need you even if you only want to perform one song or if you want to be in several. Each show will last only 20-25 minutes, so rehearsals should be a BREEZE! You will rehearse by appointment only, so it should be easy to work around your own schedule. Different themes will include: “Rockin’ 50’s,” “Broadway Showstoppers,” “Dance! Dance! Dance!” “Solos from the Silver Screen” and more…. This should be a wonderful opportunity and a LOT of fun!!


Auditions for the Athens Creative Theatre production of:
Bless Me Father… Penance With a Punch-Line
will be held May 9 & 10, 2006, by appointment only.
Call 706-613-3628 for an audition appointment.
Pre-Reading: Tuesday, April 25, 6:45-9:45 PM Quinn Hall (Memorial Park). This will allow those who may not be familiar with the show to read through the script, listen to the songs, and ask questions about the production.
Performances: June 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 (Saturday Night - Dinner Theatre!) at Quinn Hall at Memorial Park, 293 Gran Ellen Drive, Athens, GA 30606


Auditions for the Athens Creative Theatre production of:
I Do, I Don't (Original Dinner Theatre Version)
will be held Tuesday, June 27, 2006, by appointment only.
Call 706-613-3628 for an audition appointment.
Pre-Reading: Tuesday, June 20, 6:45-9:45 PM Quinn Hall (Memorial Park). This will allow those who may not be familiar with the show to read through the script, listen to the songs, and ask questions about the production.
Performances: July 28-29, August 4-5 (Dinner Theatre!) at Quinn Hall at Memorial Park, 293 Gran Ellen Drive, Athens, GA 30606

 

2006

Athens Creative Theatre
School Tour

Captain Character and His Clever Clowns
Story One: Responsibility - A Children's School Tour
November 28 - December 23

Book by: Jane Quinn and Rae Henderson

Let our three talented director/actors bring you our "character curriculum" in this "live-it-to-learn-it" premiere production. We will use twenty of your confident top-reading students (carefully selected by you) in a 45 minute preparation workshop to ready them to join our actors onstage. Once in costume, they will read, sing and tell the story of Captain Character and Rachel Responsibility for the rest of your students. Our set of lesson plans, including a reader's theatre script, will be given to each school to reproduce for their students who attend this production.

Appropriate age: K-5
Show length: 50 minutes
Cost per student: $2 (minimum 150 students) - at your school
Cost per student: $3 (no minimum amount) - at Quinn Hall in Memorial Park
To book a show call: (706) 613-3628

 

 

Athens Creative Theatre
School Tour

Children’s School Tour - Celebrate Georgia!
Who Wants to be the Most Important Georgian?
February 14- March 3

Book by Carmel Hearn. What a better way to celebrate our state’s birthday (February 12) than with a visit from Georgia’s founding father, General James Oglethorpe? Students will participate as historical characters and contestants in a fun-filled (and educational) interactive quiz show, “Who Wants to be the Most Important Georgian?” Whether on stage on in the audience, students will be 100% involved, educated and entertained! Parents, don’t forget to bring your cameras!

Appropriate age: K-5
Show length: 50 minutes
Cost per student: $2 (minimum 150 students) – at your school
Cost per student: $3 (no minimum amount) – at Quinn Hall in Memorial Park
To book a show call: (706) 613-3628


Call (706) 613-3628 for more information and to book a performance

 

2004-2005
Mainstage Season
&
Audition Information

   


One of the most successful Off-Broadway stage shows, it played to packed houses for almost three years and won every award for its score and enchanting performance. It was billed as “a musical about an old operetta” – a musical spoof of old-time favorites like “Rose Marie” and “Naughty Marietta” – but gently kidded and made delightful in its own right.
With its deliberately corny songs and naïve situations, it pokes fun at all the clichés of the innocent musicals our grandparents enjoyed, but it is done freshly and with flair; it quickly wins audiences with its brilliant fooling. There are twenty four songs in all, including thundering choruses, schmaltzy waltzes, and lilting duets – all kidding and all in fun.
The plot is a little bit of everything: Colorado Rangers, a stalwart Captain, a lovely Mary, a chorus of simpering schoolgirls and a villainous Indian. As a loving lampoon it has become something of an American institution as well as an international favorite.

Little Mary Sunshine



Performances: July 16, 17, 23, 24 & 25, 2004
At The Morton Theatre

For reservations please call the Morton Theatre: (706) 613-3771
Box Office opens one week prior to opening night
Box Office Hours: 10am -1pm and 3pm - 6pm Monday - Friday
Box Office opens one hour before each performance

Friday and Saturday Evenings at 7:30pm, Sunday Matinee 3:00pm
$15 Adults, $13 Senior Citizens (55+), $10 Children & Students
Sunday Matinee and groups of 12 or more - $2 off each ticket

   


America's Original Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner Theater comes to Athens thanks to its author, Lee H. Adams. Whether you're planning a first date, a night out with friends, company party or corporate event, ACT will make it an evening to remember. The play takes place through out the entire room where you are seated for dinner, the actors and actress double as your wait staff always in character! With the bribe money and clue packages we provide its up to you to solve the mystery and win a fabulous prize! The biggest, most exclusive dinner party of the year! Only the richest, most beautiful people in the world get an invitation. YOU are on the guest list. You have submitted your $100,000 cash for the privilege of attending. This year's host is Lily Laplighter - veteran of "The Society", who's husbands keep mysteriously dying. As is the custom with "The Society", each year's host is charged to come up with a game to compete for all the entry fees. Lily has chosen a format resembling "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" Things are going fine until the purse ends up missing and the contestants start turning up dead. It will be up to YOU to solve this case, with the help of Chase Taylor - the hard-nosed, hard drinking private detective and a cast of hilarious contestants.

"Who Wants To Kill A Millionaire?" - Dinner Theatre
Auditions: August 2 & 3 at 7:00 at ACT
Performances: August 27th thru October 9
At The Memorial Park Theatre
Hours: 7:00 Shows on Friday & Saturday
Rates: $37.50 per person

Call 613-3628 for an audition appointment - after July 25

   


In 1978 a seventy-year-old black farm worker in rural Glascock County, Georgia, received a call from God. Though he could neither read nor write, J. B. Murray, under what he believed to be the inspiration of Holy Spirit, began to draw and paint flowing yet erratic abstractions. Over the next ten years, Murray created paintings of ghostly figures and elongated shapes which represented "the people what is living like God don't exist." By the time of his death in 1988, Murray's art had been shown in art galleries all over the world. This musical tells of how an illiterate farmer in rural Georgia rose to become an artist of international acclaim, analyzes his art and spiritual message, and unfolds how this fascinating folk artist offered a redemptive metaphor for spiritual healing, regeneration, and ultimate salvation.


“In the Hand of the Holy Spirit: The Life of J. B. Murray”
Auditions: September 6 & 7 at 7:00 at ACT
Performances: October 14-23
At The Lyndon House Arts Center

Call 613-3628 for an audition appointment - after August 26th

 

  

 

One of the most popular and successful musicals in recent memory, this deliciously goofy revue centers on four young, eager male singers killed in a car crash in the 1950s on the way to their first big concert, and now miraculously revived for the posthumous chance to fulfill their dreams and perform the show that never was. Singing in the closest of harmony, squabbling boyishly over the smallest intonations and executing their charmingly outlandish choreography with over-zealous precision, the “Plaids” are a guaranteed smash, with a program of beloved songs and delightful patter that keeps audiences rolling in the aisles when they're not humming along to some of the great nostalgic pop hits of the '50s. We will have our official public dedication of the new theatre space in conjunction with the opening of "Forever Plaid."

"Forever Plaid"

Auditions: October 31 and November 1 @ 7:00
Performances: January 21 thru 30
At The Memorial Park Theatre

Call 613-3628 for an audition appointment - after October 24

 

 
 

 

  

In the little village of Anatevka, Tevye, a poor dairyman, tries to instill in his five daughters the traditions of his tight-knit Jewish community in the face of changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia. Rich in historical and ethnic detail, “Fiddler On The Roof” has touched audiences around the world with its humor, warmth and honesty. It's universal theme of tradition cuts across barriers of race, class, nationality and religion, leaving audiences crying tears of laughter, joy and sadness. The show features a celebrated score by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick, with songs loved the world over: "Sunrise, Sunset," "If I Were A Rich Man" and "Matchmaker," to name a few. “Fiddler On The Roof” is simply Broadway at its very best.

"Fiddler on the Roof"
Auditions: December 12 & 13 at 7:00 PM
at Quinn Hall at Memorial Park, 293 Gran Ellen Drive, Athens, GA
Roles are available for adults, teens, and childre
Call 613-3628 for an audition appointment


Performances: February 11 thru 19
At The Morton Theatre


For reservations please call the Morton Theatre: (706) 613-3771
Box Office opens one week prior to opening night
Box Office Hours: 10am -1pm and 3pm - 6pm Monday - Friday
Box Office opens one hour before each performance

Friday and Saturday Evenings at 7:30pm, Sunday Matinee 3:00pm
$15 Adults, $13 Senior Citizens (55+), $10 Children & Students
Sunday Matinee and groups of 12 or more - $2 off each ticket

 

  

"Arnold Lobel's well-loved characters hop from the page to the stage in Robert and Willie Reale's musical A Year With Frog And Toad. Conceived by Mr. Lobel's daughter, Adrianne Lobel, A Year With Frog And Toad remains true to the spirit of the original stories as it follows two great friends, the cheerful and popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad through four fun-filled seasons. Waking from hibernation in the spring, they proceed to plant gardens, swim, rake leaves and go sledding, learning life lessons along the way, including a most important one about friendship and rejoicing in the attributes that make each of us different and special.
A score that bubbles with melody and wit, it's jazzy upbeat sound is a perfect match for the hopping, crawling and flying denizens that inhabit Frog and Toad's world. Featuring a small cast that doubles in several roles and simple, suggestive costumes and staging, A Year With Frog And Toad is a perfect show for an ensemble group of actors. It's clever book and lyrics and snazzy music can serve as a great introduction to theatre for youngsters, while keeping adults entertained as well.
A new show, destined to become a classic, A Year With Frog And Toad is inventive, exuberant and totally enchanting. "

"A Year With Frog and Toad"
Auditions: January 9 from 3-6 PM
Performances: April 8 thru 16, 2005
At The Memorial Park Theatre

Call 613-3628 for an audition appointment - after Jan. 1st

 

  

This concert staging of this classic musical gives you the irresistible draw of Broadway! Sets? Simple! Costumes? Simple! Staging? Creative and imaginative! Broadway in Concert: elegant, exciting, and most of all - unforgettable! One of Broadway’s most neglected masterpieces, the romantic and achingly beautiful “A Little Night Music” deals with the universal subject of love, in all its wondrous, humorous and ironic permutations. In turn-of-the-century Sweden, middle-aged Fredrik Egerman brings his 18-year-old bride Anne to a play starring his former mistress, Desirée Armfeldt. Soon, Fredrik and Desirée resume their romance, incurring the wrath of her current lover, a pompous Count. The situation culminates in a weekend at a country estate, with Fredrik, Anne, Desirée and the Count in attendance, as well as Fredrik’s son (who is hopelessly in love with Anne), Desirée’s illegitimate daughter, the Count’s manic-depressive wife and the Egerman’s lusty maid. And there, under the summer night, things are set to right. Sophisticated, literate and stylish, “A Little Night Music" contains Sondheim’s most popular song to date, the haunting “Send in the Clowns.”

"Broadway In Concert: A Little Night Music"
Auditions: April 24 & 25 at 7:00 at ACT
Performances: June 3-12
At The Memorial Park Theatre

Call 613-3628 for an audition appointment - after April 15

 

 

  

The exciting, interactive show concept gives audiences a chance to attend an actual wedding in which there is a ceremony, reception, guests and lots of improvisation. The theatrical performance satires an Italian-American wedding, and the audience participates in all aspects of the fictitious event. The most imaginative aspect of the show is its unpredictability. Because the actors are indistinguishable from guests, no one is quite sure of the outcome. This creates a certain spontaneity unparalleled by other shows. Since its opening more than 15 years ago, the show has garnered rave reviews from The New York Times, which called the show "audaciously imaginative," and Glamour Magazine called "Tony 'n' Tina's Wedding" "Off-Broadway's most innovative play." Audiences begin the evening with a wedding ceremony, which is followed by a reception hosted by Vinnie Black. The dinner includes hors d'ouevres, a champagne toast and a full Italian buffet. From there, a rousing reception takes place with the Nunzio and Vitale families, which includes a pasta dinner, champagne toasts, wedding cake and dancing to a five piece band.

Tony n' Tina's Wedding - Dinner Theatre!
Auditions: June 5 & 6 at 7:00 at ACT
Performances: July 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23
At The Memorial Park Theatre

Call 613-3628 for an audition appointment - after June 1

ACT Summer Camp - 2005!

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat"

Camp Dates: Mondays through Fridays - June 27th thru July 21st (no meeting July 4th) - 1:00 – 5:30 PM at the Morton Theatre

17 fun packed rehearsals and classes ending in a complete presentation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice classic! Bring a snack for breaktime.

Only $50.00 per week! ($200.00 total) and limited to 60 participants.


First Meeting: June 27th


Performances: - Friday July 22, 7:30, Saturday July 23, 7:30, and Sunday July 24, 3:00 PM
At The Morton Theatre.

 

 

Athens Creative Theatre is pleased to announce it's
2002-03 Educational Performance Season!

The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
Morton Theatre Performance Dates: September 20, 2002
Grades 6th - 12th

Canterbury Tales
Touring Dates: February 3 - 14
Morton Theatre Performance Date: February 14, 2003
Grades k - 5th

Share the dynamic of Live Theatre with your students. For many children this is their only opportunity to experience the performing arts. We will send you an educational packet of information and activities for use before the production that you can incorporate into your daily lesson plans. The "Marigolds" performances are $3 per student. The "Canterbury" Tour is $2 per student with a minimum of 150 students (maximum of 300 students recommended per performance).
Morton performances for "Canterbury" are $3 per student (no group is too large or too small).
Call (706) 613-3628 to book a performance.



The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds
   

This moving and powerful drama, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 971, holds a vital message for young people of all eras, including today's. Written by Paul Zindel, a man who has dedicated his like to the education and elevation of children, this play strives to give hope to the hopeless. This performance/workshop is sponsored by Athens Creative Theatre and presented by High Drama Productions, a professional touring group from New York. Conversations/Workshop seccions can be arranged with your group in tandem witha confirmed performance date.

 


Canterbury Tales

 

   

In this audience participation play adapted from Chaucer children will step across the threshold of the Tabard Inn and enter 14th Century England, not as a passive spectators, but as active participants. Three of Chaucer's most popular tales allow the audience to bargain with the Pardoner or contribute an element to the Alchemist's spectacular demonstration of gold-making. This show is a skillful blend of improvisation , pantomime and straight Chaucer- fun for youngersters who want action, conflict, and the thrill of participation.

 

To Become a "Friend" of Athens Creative Theatre

 

What is a "Friend" of Athens Creative Theatre?

A Friend of Athens Creative Theatre is an individual supporter or financial broker whose generous contributions allow ACT to continue to produce quality theatrical productions, as well as to provide Education and Outreach Programs to Athens and its communities.

Gifts from our "Friends" provide ACT with the funding that enables us to produce the MAINSTAGE and SUMMER MUSICAL SERIES seasons each year that speak to our diverse Athens community. Our "Friends" help support ACT's YOUNG AUDIENCES touring productions for Athens area youth. An average of 10,000 students attend YOUNG AUDIENCES productions annually.

Support from our "Friends" allows ACT to broaden the scope of our Education and Community Outreach Programs enabling us to provide theatre experiences for young people that will "educate the youth of today as we inspire the leaders of tomorrow!"

Our "Friends" help us supplement the portion of our budget that is not covered by ticket sales and enables Athens Creative Theatre to continue to bring exceptional theatre to the Athens area community!

 

 

Friends of Athens Creative Theatre Benefits

 


Your gift to our F.A.C.T. giving campaign qualifies you for the following benefits:
(NOTE: BENEFITS LISTED IN BOLD TYPE ARE EXCLUSIVE TO THAT LEVEL)

* PRODUCER
($1000 and up)
Eight complimentary season subscriptions
One year complimentary subscription to Playbill magazine, plus


* DIRECTOR
($850 to $999.99)
Six complimentary season subscriptions
20% discount on individual tickets, plus


* PLAYWRIGHT
($700 to $849.99)
Four complimentary season subscriptions
Autographed cast poster of each show, plus


* DESIGNER
($500 to $699.99)
Two complimentary season subscriptions
Membership in the ACT Production Team Club
10% discount on individual tickets, plus


PERFORMER
($300 to $499.99)
Voucher for 6 complimentary tickets to any performance
Priority notice of all performances, ticket sales, and special events, plus


STAGE MANAGER
($150 to $299.99)
Voucher for 4 complimentary tickets to any performance
Athens Creative Theatre tee-shirt, plus


PRODUCTION ASSISTANT
($50 to $149.99)
Voucher for 2 complimentary tickets to any performance
10% discount on ACT youth classes, plus


PARTNER
($15 to $49.99)
Listing in all season playbills

 

 

More Background On AthensCreativeTheatre.com

 

AthensCreativeTheatre.com preserves a particularly interesting chapter in the history of community theater in Athens, Georgia. The website once served as the online home of Athens Creative Theatre, commonly known as ACT, a community theater organization whose roots stretch back to 1966. Although Athens Creative Theatre has long since moved its official online presence to the Athens-Clarke County government website, the old domain provides a window into what the organization was doing during the early years of widespread public use of the Internet.

The site is especially valuable because Athens Creative Theatre is not simply an independent group that occasionally stages plays. It evolved into a municipally operated cultural and educational program and today functions as a unit of the Arts Division of the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government's Leisure Services Department.

Over the decades, ACT has combined traditional community theater with children's programming, theater education, summer camps, school outreach, volunteer opportunities and productions involving performers with widely varying levels of experience.

Its longevity is notable. Founded in 1966, Athens Creative Theatre has now been part of the Athens cultural landscape for approximately six decades.

What Was AthensCreativeTheatre.com?

AthensCreativeTheatre.com was an official web address used by Athens Creative Theatre during an earlier period of its history. Material preserved from roughly 2002 through 2006 illustrates the kind of information visitors could find there: current and upcoming productions, audition notices, performance schedules, ticket prices, educational programs, summer camps, school tours and opportunities to financially support ACT.

The historical website functioned less like a glossy promotional site and more like an operational center for a working community theater.

Someone interested in acting could find audition dates. Parents could learn about children's programs. Teachers could investigate school performances. Theatergoers could find ticket prices and performance schedules. Supporters could learn how to contribute financially.

That makes the archived site useful today for a different reason. It documents how a local performing-arts organization operated during the early 2000s.

Athens Creative Theatre's official information is now incorporated into the Athens-Clarke County government website rather than being dependent upon AthensCreativeTheatre.com. The modern government site continues to describe ACT as an organization presenting comedies, dramas and musicals while offering theater classes and summer performance camps.

Who Owns and Operates Athens Creative Theatre?

Athens Creative Theatre is unusual among community theaters because it is connected directly to local government.

ACT is a unit of the Arts Division of the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government's Leisure Services Department. Tourism organization Visit Athens describes it as a nonprofit community theater and a division of the county's Leisure Services Department.

This municipal structure distinguishes ACT from a purely private theatrical company.

Government involvement gives theater programming a broader public-service dimension. The purpose is not simply to sell seats. Education, community participation, accessibility and opportunities for residents to become directly involved in theatrical production are important parts of the program.

A county job description for ACT's artistic and education leadership illustrates the breadth of the mission. Responsibilities include selecting plays and performances, coordinating creative teams, developing classes, workshops, camps and productions for different ages, managing a community-based municipal theater program, providing educational opportunities and expanding access to theater.

In other words, Athens Creative Theatre functions simultaneously as a producer, educational program and community cultural resource.

The Origins of Athens Creative Theatre

Athens Creative Theatre was established in 1966, but its beginnings are closely associated with theater education at the University of Georgia.

Historical descriptions identify University of Georgia drama professor Jane Quinn as ACT's founder. The organization developed from children's theater and creative dramatics work connected with UGA.

The early model had an educational dimension from the beginning. Graduate students studying children's theater gained practical experience directing productions, while young performers received opportunities to appear on stage.

Eventually, the program became associated with the City of Athens' recreation and leisure-services system and broadened its scope. Instead of focusing only on children's productions, ACT developed into a community theater capable of bringing together children, teenagers, adults, university participants, experienced actors and newcomers.

Jane Quinn's importance to the organization remains visible in one of ACT's primary venues: Quinn Hall at Memorial Park bears her name.

That connection between university theater education, children's performance and municipal recreation helps explain why education has remained so deeply embedded in ACT's identity.

Quinn Hall and Memorial Park

Athens Creative Theatre is closely associated with Memorial Park at 293 Gran Ellen Drive in Athens.

Memorial Park is a 72-acre public recreation area in Athens' Five Points neighborhood. Attractions include Bear Hollow Zoo, the Birchmore Trail, a swimming pool, playground, dog park, fishing pond, basketball courts, picnic facilities and Athens Creative Theatre.

Quinn Hall provides ACT with an intimate black-box-style performance and rehearsal environment.

The building and surrounding recreational complex have their own history. County historical documentation indicates that a building at Memorial Park originated as a publicly owned tuberculosis hospital following a 1924 bond campaign. After the hospital closed, the structure was converted to recreational uses. During the 1960s and 1970s, portions of the facility were associated with a teen gathering space.

Athens Creative Theatre's presence at Memorial Park therefore forms another layer in a much longer history of community use.

The theater's small-scale environment has also become part of its appeal. Public reviews have described ACT as an intimate venue where audiences are close to the action.

The Morton Theatre Connection

ACT's other major venue is the historic Morton Theatre in downtown Athens.

Using both Quinn Hall and the Morton Theatre gives Athens Creative Theatre considerable flexibility. Smaller productions and rehearsals can take place at Quinn Hall, while larger mainstage presentations can move into the Morton.

The arrangement also links ACT with one of Athens' most historically significant cultural buildings.

During the period documented by AthensCreativeTheatre.com, Morton Theatre productions were a prominent part of ACT programming. Shows such as Little Mary Sunshine and Fiddler on the Roof were presented there, and the theater was also used for youth programming and summer productions.

The relationship continues. ACT productions remain part of the Morton Theatre calendar, including The SpongeBob Musical scheduled for November 2026.

What Athens Creative Theatre Produced

One of the most revealing characteristics of the historical website is the sheer variety of programming.

ACT was not locked into one theatrical category.

Its seasons included Broadway musicals, dramas, comedies, children's shows, concert presentations, dinner theater, interactive performances and locally relevant works.

Productions documented during the early-to-mid-2000s included:

  • Little Mary Sunshine
  • Who Wants to Kill a Millionaire?
  • In the Hand of the Holy Spirit: The Life of J. B. Murray
  • Forever Plaid
  • Fiddler on the Roof
  • A Year with Frog and Toad
  • A Little Night Music
  • Tony n' Tina's Wedding
  • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
  • The Last Five Years

That selection demonstrates unusually broad programming.

A Stephen Sondheim musical could share a season with a family-oriented production, an interactive dinner theater event and a work dealing with a Georgia folk artist.

Local newspaper listings confirm that these were active parts of Athens' entertainment calendar. For example, Flagpole promoted ACT's 2005 production of Fiddler on the Roof at the Morton Theatre and a return engagement of Forever Plaid at Memorial Park. The publication similarly listed The Last Five Years at Quinn Hall in 2006.

Such coverage placed ACT alongside University Theatre productions, concerts, festivals and other cultural events in Athens.

A Theater Designed for Participation

A defining feature of Athens Creative Theatre has been its emphasis on participation.

ACT historically encouraged people without extensive theatrical backgrounds to audition. That is an important distinction between community theater and professional theater: participants do not necessarily arrive with professional résumés. Community theater can be where people discover that they enjoy performing in the first place.

The archived programming shows ACT deliberately lowering barriers to entry.

Auditions could include preliminary readings designed to familiarize potential cast members with a show. Productions offered roles to adults, teenagers and children. Festival programming sought singers, dancers, performing groups and individuals who might participate in only a single number.

This approach turns theater from something residents merely watch into something they can help create.

Modern Athens-Clarke County descriptions continue this tradition, identifying ACT with all-inclusive programming and opportunities extending beyond conventional mainstage productions.

Education and Children's Theater

Educational programming may be the most socially significant part of ACT's history.

School tours and student performances were designed to introduce children to live theater, including children who might otherwise have little opportunity to experience a theatrical production.

One early educational season included Paul Zindel's The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds for older students and an audience-participation adaptation of The Canterbury Tales for younger children.

Teachers were not simply handed tickets. Educational packets and activities could accompany productions so that theater became part of classroom instruction.

Later programs became even more interactive.

A children's school-tour production called Who Wants to Be the Most Important Georgian? used Georgia history and a quiz-show concept to involve students directly. General James Oglethorpe and other historical figures became part of an entertaining approach to state history.

Another program, Captain Character and His Clever Clowns, incorporated a "character curriculum." Selected students prepared with ACT performers and then participated in the presentation themselves.

The objective was not simply entertainment. Theater became a method of teaching history, literacy, responsibility, collaboration and self-expression.

At one point, ACT's Young Audiences programming reportedly reached an average of approximately 10,000 students annually—an indication of how far its educational impact could extend beyond the number of people attending conventional evening performances.

Government records also show that this educational role continued well beyond the period represented by the old website. For example, a later Athens-Clarke County budget included federal grant funding connected with the Clarke County School District for ACT to provide instructional theater programming in middle-school after-school programs.

Summer Camps and Training

Athens Creative Theatre also developed structured summer experiences.

A particularly good historical example is its 2005 summer camp centered on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The program combined weeks of rehearsals and classes before culminating in complete public performances at the Morton Theatre.

Modern ACT continues to offer summer performance camps at Quinn Hall and the Morton Theatre, along with theater classes for youth and adults.

This helps explain ACT's staying power.

A child might first encounter the organization through a school performance, later enroll in a camp, audition for a production as a teenager and eventually return as an adult performer, volunteer, parent or audience member.

That creates an intergenerational relationship between a theater and its community.

Dinner Theater and Interactive Entertainment

ACT's historical programming also shows a willingness to experiment with theatrical format.

Dinner theater was a recurring component.

Who Wants to Kill a Millionaire?, for example, was structured as an interactive murder mystery in which performers could mingle with the audience and the spectators themselves became involved in solving the crime.

Tony n' Tina's Wedding similarly blurred the boundary between audience and cast by treating spectators as guests at a fictional wedding and reception.

Other productions offered dinner in conjunction with more conventional theatrical performances.

These events demonstrate that ACT was not merely reproducing a standard playhouse model. It was looking for ways to make theater social, participatory and entertaining for people who might not consider themselves regular theatergoers.

Local Stories and Georgia Culture

Athens Creative Theatre's programming occasionally connected directly with Georgia history and culture.

One striking example was In the Hand of the Holy Spirit: The Life of J. B. Murray.

Murray was an African American farmer from rural Glascock County, Georgia, who began creating visionary art late in life. His drawings and paintings eventually attracted attention far beyond Georgia.

Presenting a musical about Murray demonstrated ACT's capacity to use community theater to explore regional subjects rather than relying exclusively on familiar Broadway titles.

The school program Who Wants to Be the Most Important Georgian? provides another example, turning Georgia history into interactive children's theater.

These productions gave ACT a role in interpreting local and regional identity as well as providing entertainment.

Friends of Athens Creative Theatre

Community theater requires resources that ticket sales alone rarely provide.

Historically, ACT addressed this through Friends of Athens Creative Theatre and its F.A.C.T. giving campaign.

Supporters could contribute at multiple levels carrying theater-themed names such as Partner, Production Assistant, Stage Manager, Performer, Designer, Playwright, Director and Producer.

Benefits varied by contribution and could include tickets, discounts, recognition, merchandise and season subscriptions.

More important than the perks was what the money supported.

Contributions helped finance mainstage productions, summer musicals, education and community outreach, including programs for young audiences.

Friends of Athens Creative Theatre continues to support ACT today, demonstrating that the fundraising organization was not merely a feature of the old website era.

Awards and Recognition

Evidence of recognition can also be found in Athens-Clarke County records.

In 2001, Athens Creative Theatre volunteer Kay Glenn received Georgia Recreation and Park Association volunteer recognition at both district and state levels. In 2010, the Georgia Recreation and Park Association presented an Innovative Program Award in the senior-adult category for Readers Theatre at Athens Creative Theatre.

ACT therefore earned recognition not simply for staging shows, but for the broader recreational, volunteer and community-service dimensions of its work.

That distinction is important. It reinforces the idea that ACT's role has extended beyond conventional theatrical production.

Popularity and Public Reputation

Athens Creative Theatre should not be measured against commercial entertainment venues using ticket sales alone.

Its influence is better understood through longevity, participation, educational reach and continued visibility in Athens cultural life.

Operating continuously from origins in 1966 is itself substantial evidence of community support. Its productions have appeared repeatedly in local arts and entertainment coverage, particularly Flagpole, which maintains an archive of stories and listings associated with Athens Creative Theatre.

Online reviews are limited in number, but favorable comments commonly emphasize the intimate nature of the venue and quality of productions. One publicly aggregated review described Quinn Hall as a small venue without bad seats and praised ACT's productions. Another positive review singled out a children's performance.

Not all feedback has been positive. At least one reviewer complained about difficulty navigating the modern government-based website while searching for audition information. Ironically, that criticism helps illustrate one reason the old standalone AthensCreativeTheatre.com is interesting: a dedicated theater domain gave the organization a distinct online identity separate from a large municipal website.

ACT in the Athens Cultural Landscape

Athens is internationally associated with music, particularly the alternative-rock scene that produced R.E.M., The B-52s and numerous other performers. But the city's cultural ecosystem is much broader.

Athens Creative Theatre represents the community-participation side of that ecosystem.

It exists alongside the University of Georgia's performing arts programs, the Morton Theatre, local theater companies, dance organizations, music venues, festivals, galleries and other cultural institutions.

Its location strengthens that connection. Quinn Hall sits within the family-oriented Memorial Park complex in Five Points, while larger ACT performances at the Morton Theatre place the organization in downtown Athens.

That gives ACT two complementary identities: neighborhood community theater and downtown performing-arts organization.

Athens Creative Theatre Today

ACT remains active well beyond the period represented by AthensCreativeTheatre.com.

Modern programming continues to include dramas, comedies and musicals as well as education and performance opportunities. In March 2026, for example, ACT presented Richard Bean's One Man, Two Guvnors at Quinn Hall. Local media advertised several performances at an accessible $15 ticket price.

The organization has also continued experimenting with community-focused programming. A 2025 ACT's Got Talent event at the Morton Theatre featured singers, dancers, musicians, actors, spoken-word performers and other Athens-area talent.

For the 2026-2027 period, ACT has recruited musical directors, choreographers, guest directors and guest artists for productions including The SpongeBob Musical, Much Ado About Nothing and a Shakespeare project in Dudley Park.

ACT has also used town-hall-style gatherings to invite performers, patrons, volunteers and other residents to discuss its direction and future programming.

That is remarkably consistent with the philosophy visible in the old website: the community is not simply ACT's audience. The community is part of the organization.

Why AthensCreativeTheatre.com Is Historically Interesting

The significance of AthensCreativeTheatre.com ultimately extends beyond the website itself.

Old organizational websites can preserve details that disappear when institutions redesign their online presence: ticket prices, audition procedures, fundraising structures, class descriptions, educational philosophy and descriptions of productions that once seemed temporary.

A theater's current website naturally concentrates on what happens next.

An archived website shows what happened then.

In ACT's case, the historical material captures an organization moving easily among Sondheim musicals, children's educational theater, Georgia history, dinner theater, Broadway favorites, summer camps and experimental audience-participation productions.

It also documents an unusually inclusive philosophy of community theater.

ACT encouraged residents to audition, children to participate, teachers to use theater educationally, volunteers to help, donors to support outreach and audiences to become active participants.

The specific productions have changed, but the larger mission has proved remarkably durable.

A Lasting Athens Institution

AthensCreativeTheatre.com represents only a few years in the much longer history of Athens Creative Theatre.

The institution behind it began in 1966 with strong connections to theater education and children's performance. It subsequently became part of Athens' municipal cultural infrastructure, developed Quinn Hall into an important home, presented larger productions at the historic Morton Theatre and expanded into classes, camps, school outreach and programming for participants of many ages and backgrounds.

Its cultural importance lies partly in what happens on stage and partly in what happens because of the stage.

Children encounter live theater. Adults discover performing opportunities. Amateur actors work beside experienced artists. Students see curriculum transformed into performance. Volunteers participate in productions. Residents gather around stories ranging from Broadway standards to Georgia history.

That is why Athens Creative Theatre has survived while generations of individual productions—and the websites advertising them—have come and gone.

AthensCreativeTheatre.com is therefore best understood as a digital artifact of a living institution. It preserves a snapshot of ACT during the early 2000s, but the organization itself has continued evolving.

Nearly six decades after its founding, Athens Creative Theatre remains what its historical programming suggests it was always intended to be: not merely a place to watch theater, but a place where Athens can participate in making it.

 

AthensCreativeTheatre.com