About Center Stage Theatre
The History of Center Stage Theatre
Written by Courtney Horton
Center Stage Theatre has been entertaining our patrons of Wayne County and beyond for much longer than most people realize. Center Stage Theatre (known as CST) has been around since 1978 and before that
were two theatre groups called “Seygold" and Goldwayne”. They performed such plays as
Ten Little Indians, Born Yesterday, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, and Play it Again Sam, before officially
merging into the group now known as CST. Center Stage became official in August of 1978 with our very first president of the theatre group being Roger Wicker.
The first meeting included charter members Sean Norris and Ron Taylor. Ron Taylor
later became our second president in 1979. The first play that was performed by the newly established CST was in December of 1978, Mr. Scrooge.
Many members of CST had a great love for the theatre and entertaining the patrons. In fact, some of the original members are still very active today in 2006! The following members joined CST in 1979; Debby Libby and Mike Mancusco. In 1981 we also had some very dedicated members that have traveled the CST road to now: Mary Lou Park, Sue Nobers, and Craig Millard. Many longtime CST patrons may look back and see their names in programs decades ago and still today as they continue to entertain Wayne County.
Lucky for CST, Herman Park Center opened in 1979. This is where all the plays were performed up until the first performance at the Paramount Theatre in 1994 which was
Kiss Me Kate. After that the musicals were performed at the Paramount and the smaller dramas and comedies performed at Herman Park Center. Show admission started out at $2.00 per person! In 1982 the first Herman Awards Banquet was created and the tradition lives on today. Awards for actors, backstage crew, directors and such are voted on yearly by our season ticket holders. Then one night a year CST puts together a banquet to give the Herman Awards to the winners. One might relate it to a mini Oscar night!
Center Stage Theatre is a great asset to the arts in Wayne County. In 1999 CST celebrated their 20th Anniversary with the shows
Give my Regards to Broadway, Play On, Into the Woods, and The Diary of Anne Frank. This season was followed by our special season which was entitled “The Best of the first 20 Years”. Shows that season were favorites such as
The King and I, Steel Magnolias, Arsenic and Old Lace, and the forever classic
West Side Story.
Center Stage Theatre is a wonderful community theatre with a great sense of togetherness. Auditions are always open to anyone interested in the community and membership is an option each year. Meetings are held by members every first Monday of the month at Herman Park Center. Season shows are selected by members and then brought to our patrons every year. We enjoy feedback from our patrons and invite all to engage in the fun of our community theatre. Tickets are available at each show or yearly as a season ticket. Many years of enjoyable hard work has gone into the success of CST and may we continue this wonderful tradition for years to come; as they say…… the show must go on!
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