![]() By the 1960s, however, attendance was down. The theater flourished for nearly 50 years. Yet the company continued to be called “Indianapolis Civic Theatre,” and then simply “Civic Theatre” or “Civic” became the common usage.Ĭivic was one of few arts organizations that survived the Great Depression and two world wars. ![]() Tarkington was an important advocate of the company in its early years, and the company had staged several of his plays. The occasional participation of a famous Hoosier author resulted in a name change in 1949-1950 to the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre of Indianapolis. Education and community outreach has always been an integral part of Civic’s philosophy. The company established Jr. Civic to provide educational opportunities for children and youth in 1941. In 1929, the company changed its name to Civic Theatre of Indianapolis. The new theater opened in February 1926 with a production of Treasure Island. As years passed, however, the art school proved inappropriate for stage productions, so in 1925 the Little Theatre built a new, 240-seat playhouse at Alabama and 19th Streets (later known as Hedback Theatre). On October 30, 1915, the Little Theatre made its debut with an evening of four short plays.ĭuring its first two seasons the society presented a total of 43 shows. Scenery had to be painted in a nearby barn and transported in hay wagons. No auditoriums were available, so a sculpture court at the Herron Art Institute was pressed into service. Elliot was hired away from the Chicago Little Theatre to lead the new venture. In 1914, several community leaders formed the Little Theatre Society of Indiana, precursor to the Civic Theatre and the first volunteer-based theatre in the city. Artistic Director S. Largest and oldest community theater in the Indianapolis area and longest continuously operating community theater in the U.S. By 2012, it moved to Carmel, near the Palladium. Alabama Street and on the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art on West 38th Street. It has been located at the Herron School of Art, at a playhouse at 1847 N. It was founded in 1915 as the Little Theatre and in 1929 took the official name Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre as the local author occasionally participated in its work. ![]() Civic Theatre of Indianapolis on Alabama Street. ![]()
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