Published March 14, 2024
By Kelsey Pigg
Auditions for “The Boyfriend” in 1969
On September 9, 1923, the Whig-Journal said: “Little Theater Becomes Reality in Quincy: Lovers of Drama Asked to Join.” One week later, over 100 members were part of the fledgling organization. One hundred years later, thousands of locals are still answering the call.
Quincy Community Theatre (QCT) — or Quincy Community Little Theatre (QCLT), as it was originally known, was born during the Little Theatre Movement in the 1910s and early 1920s. Melodramas ruled the stage. These sensationalized works were box office successes, dominating the seasons of the larger profit-driven playhouses who now found themselves competing with film. Yet, an emphasis on profits was stifling the art form’s growth.
Enter little theaters. With no room for experimentation on more commercialized stages, communities across the country formed their own theatrical organizations to give a voice to new works that challenged societal standards and as noted in the same Whig-Journal article, “give everyone the advantage of becoming acquainted with the best plays.” The movement attracted a mix of people interested in pushing the boundaries of theater.
The people of Quincy were now ready for a little theater of their own. Again, quoting the Whig-Journal, “Realizing that Quincy is in no way inferior to other cities in its dramatic talent, the idea of joining the Little Theatre Movement to produce plays of the highest standard has met with much enthusiasm.” QCLT was to be an outlet for performance and education for every citizen.
The passion for the stage exhibited in those early days was undeniable. That first year, QCLT named its governing board from those spearheading the organization: Mrs. George Cottrell, Mrs. Walter Wood, Mrs. A.O. Lindsay, Reverend George Long, and Mrs. Charles T. Dazey, wife of the famed Broadway playwright. Their meetings and rehearsals were held in members’ homes. Membership tickets, which sold for $2.50, granted subscribers a seat for two to four productions per year in Lippincott Hall at the Soldiers & Sailors Home as well as access to talks by visiting artists.
By the late 1920s, QCLT was utilizing the Empire Theater, located on Eighth Street between Maine and Hampshire, for major productions. Smaller productions were mounted in the First Baptist Church in the 1930s. The organization also boasted a highly-active playwriting group, which regularly presented locally-written plays and provided educational resources for members to hone their craft.
QCLT pushed theatrical boundaries with its most famous member, Charles T. Dazey. Well before Quincy’s Little Theatre was formed, this Lima, Illinois, native had found success on Broadway. His 1894 melodrama, In Old Kentucky, ran for 26 years, and he was writing scripts for cinema. In 1932, he chose to premiere a new play, A Three-Fold Race, with QCLT. However, it was the following year’s production that shocked theatregoers.
For the first time in In Old Kentucky’s history, QCLT produced the show outdoors. A 90’ stage was constructed in Baldwin Park for the entirely local cast, and their real horse, Rio Rita. More than 1,000 attended the opening night, including the Dazeys who lauded the once-in-a-lifetime production.
Throughout its 100 years, the Little Theatre’s momentum halted only once. In 1942, World War II caused QCLT to temporarily suspend theatrical activities. Those closed years might have been the theatre’s downfall. Yet, the theatre’s greatest act was yet to come.
After 10 years of going “dark,” the lights rose again on a new and vibrant chapter. Local theater pioneers reimagined QCLT as an outdoor summer theatre. Those dedicated to the cause gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Inghram armed with tools. Wes Minear and his crew began work on a new outdoor stage, which was transported to the Art Barn.
The next decade saw an explosion of local enthusiasm. Five plays were produced every season on the lawn of the Art Barn, with rehearsals occurring in the Unitarian Church basement. QCLT also hired its first directors. Jim Andrews and others brought a level of professionalism to the organization, using their directorial talents to inspire performers and keep the love of the theatre alive — even when trouble came. Whether it was rain delaying the first production of the 1953 season, Blithe Spirit, or a wind storm causing patrons and performers to temporarily take shelter during Strange Bedfellows, the show always went on.
Trinity Parish Hall at Thirteenth and Payson Avenue became a permanent home in 1964. The building rapidly expanded opportunities with stage lighting, air conditioning, dressing rooms, and rehearsal spaces. Barbara Rowell was elected the theatre’s new president in 1968 and became its first managing artistic director in the 1970s. The next year, membership was changed to include a musical production, The Boy Friend, a one-act play contest for the production of experimental shows was introduced, and the hiring of guest artists began. The student theater program was reinstated in 1987, sparking an early love of theater in Quincy’s children.
Joining forces with the Civic Center Authority and Quincy Convention and Visitors Bureau, QCLT applied for a state grant to build a new civic center and theater complex in 1989. A $5.6M grant was awarded in 1990. Thanks to QCLT’s volunteers and patrons, the $1.25M matching funds were raised by 1992. Construction of their current home, a 498-seat facility equipped with professional lighting and sound, a scene shop, rehearsal hall, and more, was completed in 1995.
Just over 70 years after the organization’s founding, the theatre had a new venue and removed “Little” from its name. That decision is not only reflected in QCT’s facility, but in its programming. The theatre produces eight shows per year with a staff of seven full-time and two part-time employees.
“That the Little Theatre Movement has met approval in Quincy is shown in the fact that already 140 members are enrolled,” said the September 20, 1923, Quincy Whig-Journal. The spirit of the Little Theatre Movement lives on at QCT, season after season, in the hundreds of volunteers who produce professional productions; the thousands of patrons who discover new works on the local stage; and the generations of students who trace their love of theatre back to QCT outreach and classes.
Sources
“‘In Old Kentucky’ Lives Again In Most Unusual Production Before Crowd In Old Home
Town.” Quincy Herald-Whig, September 28, 1933.
“In Old Kentucky To Be Presented Both Tuesday And Wednesday Evenings.” Quincy Herald
Whig, September 24, 1933, 4.
“‘In Old Kentucky’ Will Have Stage 90 Feet Across.” Quincy Herald-Whig, September 23, 1933.
“Little Theater Becomes Reality in Quincy.” Quincy Whig-Journal, September 9, 1923, 4.
“Little theater Has 140 Charter Members Enrolled.” Quincy Whig-Journal, September 20, 1923,
4.
“Many Are Busy On Final Plans Of ‘Old Kentucky’.” Quincy Herald Whig, September 25, 1933, 4.
“Playwriters Plan To Alter Meetings As Group Enlarges.” Quincy Whig-Journal, March 6, 1929.
