Kalamazoo Civic Theatre facts for kids

The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre is a community theater company located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It's a place where people of all ages can enjoy live plays and musicals.

Places to See Shows

The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre has three special places where they put on shows and practice.

Civic Auditorium: The Main Stage

The Civic Auditorium opened in 1931. It is located at 329 S. Park Street. This theater has a balcony and can seat about 500 people. It's often used for bigger shows.

Parish Theatre: The Black Box

The Parish Theatre opened in 1998. It is located at 426 S. Park Street. This is a special "black box" style theater. It means the inside is usually black, and the stage and seats can be moved around. It seats 175 people.

Carver Center Studio: For Practice and Small Shows

The Carver Center Studio is on the second floor of the Carver Center Complex. It is also at 426 S. Park Street. This studio was updated in 2017. It's often used for rehearsals and smaller, more experimental performances.

History of the Civic Theatre

The Kalamazoo Civic Players started in 1929. Their first shows were at the Lincoln School Auditorium. Some of the people who helped start the theater were Dorothy Dalton, Norman Carver Sr., and Jean Huston.

Important Moments in Time

• 1931 – The Players moved into the Civic Auditorium on Park Street. W.E. Upjohn gave this building to the city. It was a very modern theater for its time. Their first show there was "The Constant Wife".
• 1933 – Norman Carver Sr., one of the founders, helped create the Michigan Little Theatre Enclave. This group later became the Community Theatre Association of Michigan.
• 1941 – A magazine called Stage Magazine asked the Civic to perform one of their plays on Broadway in New York City.
• 1945 – The Civic started an intern program. This was the first program of its kind in the country. Betty Ebert was the first intern. She later helped start The Barn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan.
• 1945 – To help with the war effort, the Civic began touring shows to nearby towns. This outreach program was very important during the war years.
• 1949 – The play "Imaginary Invalid" was performed in a special "arena style." The audience sat on the stage, all around the actors. This was a hint of how the Carver Center would later be used.
• 1950 – The Civic put on its 200th show, "The Madwoman of Chaillot."
• 1952 – Norman Carver became the first president of the new National Organization of Community Theatres.
• 1953 – The Civic celebrated its 25th birthday!
• 1956 – A new tradition began: starting each season with a musical. This tradition continues today.
• 1958 – The Civic Auditorium Trustees built an extra building next to the auditorium. This new building was called the Carver Center. It gave the theater much-needed space for building sets and storing costumes. It also had a multi-purpose room for experimental shows. It was named after Norman Carver, who had managed the theater for 30 years.
• 1958 – James Carver joined The Civic staff as a Production Assistant.
• 1960 – The Civic was the first community theater in the country to perform "Raisin in the Sun."
• 1969 – The Civic entered its first AACT festival. Even though there was an accident during their performance, they received an Honorary Mention because their show was so good.
• 1974 – James Carver became the Managing Director of The Civic.
• 1983 – The play "Fools" won first place in State and Regional AACT/Fest competitions. It then represented The Civic at the National Festival, where it won second place. This Civic production also represented the United States at an international theater festival in England.
• 1989 – The Civic presented its 500th production, "Our Town."
• 1994 – The Civic produced "Dancing at Lughnasa." This show also won State, Regional, and National Competitions. The actors and the design of the show were highly praised.
• 1995 – A big fundraising effort began to pay for a complete makeover of the Civic Auditorium. They also planned to build the Suzanne D. Parish Theatre. The auditorium got new electrical systems, stage equipment, flooring, and seats. The furniture was re-covered, and the walls were repainted.
• 1996 – Construction began for the new Suzanne D. Parish Theatre, built next to the Carver Center.
• 1997 – The Civic took "Dancing at Lughnasa" to Monaco to perform at an international festival. This festival was sponsored by the Princess Grace Foundation.
• 1997 – James Carver retired from the Civic.
• 1998 – In August 1998, the new Parish Theatre opened. It was a modern performance space that also doubled the workshop and storage areas for the growing Civic.
• 1999 – The Civic's production of "Forever Plaid" won first place in State and Regional AACT/Fest competitions. The "Plaid" cast represented Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Ohio at the National competition in Memphis, Tennessee.
• 2000 – The Kalamazoo Civic Players and the Kalamazoo Civic Auditorium joined together to form the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre.
• 2003 – The Civic's production of "Visiting Mr. Green" won first place in AACT/Fest competition and traveled to Wisconsin.
• 2004 – The Civic celebrated its 75th anniversary with a special concert. Many former volunteers who became professional actors on Broadway, in film, and on TV came back to perform.
• 2005 – The Carver Center was made bigger. It added a new costume shop and more space for rehearsals and classes.
• 2005 – The Civic hosted AACTFest 2005, which is a national theater festival. Over 500 theater fans came to Kalamazoo to see shows, attend workshops, and meet new friends.
• 2005 – The Civic started its Senior Class Reader's Theatre program. This group is made up of experienced performers aged 50 and older. They perform plays where they have learned their lines but don't always memorize them fully.
• 2006 – As part of a new Artist-in-Residence program, Broadway performers and a famous author visited the Civic. They shared their skills and ideas with the staff and volunteers. They also taught classes and led discussions in the community.
• 2007 – The theater was chosen to be the first community theater in the country to try out a new musical called "Avenue Q." This fun and exciting show broke all attendance records for the Parish Theatre.

What the Civic Theatre Does

Every year, the Civic season includes both musicals and plays. These shows are performed on the Main Stage or in the Parish Theatre. The Civic is special because it has a team of professional staff members. It also has many enthusiastic community volunteers who love theater. The professional staff helps make sure the shows are always high quality. Plus, there are many experienced amateur actors in the area who often perform on the Civic's stages.

The Civic Youth Theatre is also a very important group in Kalamazoo County. They put on three shows each year. The Civic's Youth Education Program is strong. It offers camps throughout the summer. These camps help encourage young people today to become future leaders in the arts.

The front of the Civic Auditorium looks a bit like a circus tent. The carvings around the doorways look like tent flaps. The Auditorium was built in 1929. It can seat 500 people. It has beautiful imported limestone decorations and lead crystal chandeliers from Yugoslavia. The Auditorium stage has 40 places where sets can be flown in and out. The proscenium (the arch around the stage) is 30 feet wide, and the stage is 32 feet deep.

A cool part of the Civic is the Parish Theatre, which was finished in 1998. This is a "black-box" type theater. It has a trapdoor on the stage and can have seating all around the performance area.