History
It began in 1926 when the Orlando Little Theatre was part of
the City of Orlando's Recreation Department. The Orlando Little Theatre then
merged with the Community Players in 1955 to form the Orlando Players, Inc. In
1968, the name was changed to the Central Florida Civic Theatre and the
theatre's presence was firmly ensconced in Loch Haven Park.
In 1969, a dramatic school was established and increased a
prevailing interest to raise money to build a theatre in Loch Haven Park. As a
result, the new 350-seat Edyth Bush Theatre and the Tupperware Children's
Theatre opened in October 1973. From that time, ever-expanding programs
required additional space, and a rehearsal hall was added in June 1979.
The Children's Theatre Series for grades K-3, with adults
performing for children, began in 1975 and later became the Theatre for Young
People to reflect the expanded age range served.
In 1986, a second expansion of the theatre added offices,
dressing rooms and a major workshop area for the Tupperware Theatre to meet the
growing program needs. The name of the theatre was then changed to the Civic
Theatre of Central Florida to reflect a more common usage and the facilities
began being referred to as the Civic Theatre Complex.
In 1990, construction was completed on the largest expansion
to date--the 400-seat Ann Giles Densch Theatre for Young People, which provided
for the growth and enhancement of all existing programs with the theatre now
offering black box, proscenium and thrust stages.
During the 1990s, the Civic Theatre produced a season of 17
professional productions, impacting over 100,000 visitors annually. The theatre
also offered training and special performance opportunities for students and
seniors.
A Unique Partnership Begins
The merger between the University of Central Florida Theatre
Program and the Civic Theatre of Central Florida created the Orlando Repertory
Theatre in the year 2000. The REP, as it is commonly known, is a professional
theater for young audiences that offers a mainstage season, classes, camps,
outreach and performance opportunities for young artists, and a Masters of Fine
Arts in Theatre for Young Audiences.
In October of 2003, The REP marked the historical opening of
a six-show performance series for family audiences in the old Civic Theatre
Complex, known now as the Orlando Repertory Theatre. Already unique in Florida
and the southern region, the Orlando Repertory Theatre strives to become a
theatre of national and international prominence.
Mission
To create experiences that enlighten, entertain and enrich the lives of family and young audiences.
Goals:
- To create family audience theatre productions that enlighten,
entertain and enrich both children and adults.
- To challenge our audiences with
culturally diverse, intergenerational programming.
- To open doors and illuminate
new worlds for our audiences by producing theatre of exceptional quality.
Objectives:
- To create outstanding family theatre productions.
- To interact with the educational development of a student
through our theatre's community engagement programs.
- To be advocates of reading, literacy, and verbal skills
through the use of books and plays as literature.
- To offer assistance to smaller theatrical organizations.