Venues

The Kalamazoo Civic Theatre has three performance venues.

The Civic Auditorium, which opened in 1931, is located at 329 S. Park Street. It has one balcony and can seat about 500 people.

The Parish Theatre, which opened in 1998, is located at 426 S. Park Street. It is a black box-style theater and can seat 175 people.

The studio is located on the second floor of the Carver Center Complex at 426 S. Park Street. It was renovated in 2017.

History

The Kalamazoo Civic Players was created in 1929 and held its first performance at the Lincoln School Auditorium. Founders of the theatre included Dorothy Dalton, Norman Carver Sr., Howard Chenery, Ruth Noble, Paul Fuller, Louise Carver, and Jean Huston.

In 1931, the group moved to the Civic Auditorium on Park Street, a building donated by W.E. Upjohn to the city. The theatre was modern for its time. In October of that year, the group performed their first show of the 1931–1932 season, a production of W. Somerset Maugham's "The Constant Wife."

In 1933, Norman Carver Sr., a founding member, helped create the Michigan Little Theatre Enclave, which later became the Community Theatre Association of Michigan.

In 1941, the Civic was asked by the publishers of Stage Magazine to perform one of their plays on Broadway.

In 1945, the Civic started an intern program, the first of its kind in the nation. The first intern was Betty Ebert, who later married Jack Ragotzy. Together, they founded The Barn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan. In the same year, the Civic began touring productions to nearby communities to support the war effort. This outreach was an important part of the Civic's mission during the war years.

In 1949, the Civic staged "Imaginary Invalid" in an arena style setting, where audience members sat on the stage around the action. This experiment hinted at future developments with the Carver Center.

In 1950, the Civic performed its 200th production, "The Madwoman of Chaillot."

In 1952, Norman Carver was elected as the first president of the newly formed National Organization of Community Theatres.

In 1953, the Civic celebrated its 25th anniversary.

In 1956, the tradition of opening the season with a musical began and continues to this day.

In 1958, the Civic Auditorium Trustees built an annex one block south of the auditorium. This new facility provided much-needed shop and storage space, as well as a multi-purpose area for experimental productions. It also served as office and rehearsal space for the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. The trustees honored Norman Carver, the theatre’s manager for 30 years, by naming the facility after him. In the same year, James Carver joined The Civic staff as a Production Assistant.

In 1960, the Civic became the first community theatre in the nation to present "Raisin in the Sun."

In 1969, the Civic entered its first AACT festival. Though an accident during the performance prevented them from finishing, they received an Honorary Mention due to the quality of their performance.

In 1974, James Carver was promoted to managing director of The Civic.

In 1983, the Civic production of "Fools," which won first place in State and Regional AACT/Fest competitions, represented the group at the National Festival. It was voted second place in National Competition and later performed at an international theatre festival in England.

In 1989, the Civic presented its 500th production, "Our Town."

In 1994, the Civic produced "Dancing at Lughnasa," which won State, Regional, and National Competitions. The production also received recognition for the actors' performances and the set design.

In 1995, a Capital Campaign was launched to fund a complete renovation of the Civic Auditorium and the construction of the Suzanne D. Parish Theatre. The renovation included new electrical systems, rigging, stage flooring, and seating. Furnishings were reupholstered, and the walls were repainted.

In 1996, groundbreaking began for the new Suzanne D. Parish Theatre, built next to the Carver Center.

In 1997, the Civic performed "Dancing at Lughnasa" at an international festival in Monaco, sponsored by the Princess Grace Foundation. That same year, James Carver retired from the Civic.

In 1998, a multi-million-dollar state-of-the-art arena-style performance space opened. It also doubled the shop space and provided much-needed storage for the growing Civic.

In 1999, the Civic's production of "Forever Plaid" won first place in State and Regional AACT/Fest competitions. The "Plaid" company represented Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Ohio at National competition in Memphis, Tennessee.

In 2000, the Kalamazoo Civic Players and the Kalamazoo Civic Auditorium merged to form the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre.

In 2003, the Civic's production of "Visiting Mr. Green" won first place in AACT/Fest competition and traveled to Wisconsin.

In 2004, the Civic celebrated its 75th anniversary with a Gala Reunion Concert, featuring former volunteers who later worked in regional theatre, film, opera, Broadway, and television.

In 2005, the Carver Center was expanded to include a new costume shop and additional rehearsal and classroom space. The Civic also hosted AACTFest 2005, the national theatre festival, where over 500 theatre lovers attended. That same year, the Civic launched its Senior Class Reader's Theatre program with a semi-staged production of "Ladies of the Corridor." The program includes veteran performers (age 50 and older) who perform learned but not memorized lines.

In 2006, the Civic introduced an Artist-in-Residence program. Broadway performers Ron Schwinn, Jerry Dixon, Peg Small and author Alma Bond shared their skills with the Civic staff, guest artists, and volunteers. They also helped with community outreach by teaching classes and leading discussions.

In 2007, the theatre became the first community theatre in the country to present a pilot production of the Tony Award-winning musical "Avenue Q." The show, known for its humor and creativity, set attendance records for the Parish Theatre.

About

Each year, the Civic season includes both musicals and plays, performed in either the Main Stage or the Parish Theatre. The Civic has kept a professional team and active community support. The professional staff has helped ensure the quality of their productions remains high. In addition, there is much theatrical activity in the area, which provides many experienced amateur actors who often perform on the Civic's stages.

The Civic Youth Theatre is an important group in Kalamazoo County. It performs three shows each year. The Civic's Youth Education Program is strong and offers summer camps to help young people grow into future leaders in the arts.

The front of the auditorium was designed with features similar to a circus tent. The carvings near the doorways look like tent flaps. Built in 1929, the Auditorium has seating for 500 people, imported limestone, and lead crystal chandeliers from Yugoslavia. The stage has 40 usable flysets. The proscenium is 30 feet wide, and the stage depth is 32 feet.

A special part of the Civic is the Parish Theatre, completed in 1998. This is a black-box-type theatre with a trapdoor and possibly seating all around.