Oak Ridge — The Oak Ridge Playhouse is one of the oldest community theaters in the Southeast.
The organization formed in 1943 as an extension of the Army’s recreation department.
“You had all these people coming in from places like New York and Chicago, places with a lot of culture, and they were in this gated community, so they needed some kind of culture here,” said Reggie Law, the Artistic Director at the playhouse.
When the playhouse first formed, there wasn’t a permanent venue. Plays were performed in schools, grocery stores, and ballrooms. The first season included a Cabaret show, Arsenic and Old Lace, and a variety show called, “This is Oak Ridge.”
In 1957, the playhouse, which had separated from the Army, purchased a movie theater that they converted into their permanent home.
They’ve been performing in the same location ever since.
“We are one of the oldest in the Southeastern United States to have been operating that many years. It’s not really common, to be honest with you, to have this kind of longevity and support, especially for a town the size of Oak Ridge because we have 30,000 people, but we draw a lot from Knoxville and surrounding areas,” Law Said.
The playhouse is in its 76th season.
Volunteers are currently building the set for their upcoming production of Peter Pan, which runs from Nov. 23 through Dec. 9.