Mill Mountain Theatre (MMT) is a professional equity theatre located in Roanoke, Virginia. Originally opening as Mill Mountain Playhouse as a “not-for-profit, non-Equity resident stock theatre”, the location burned down in 1976, leading to a re-opening and renaming at the Center in the Square in 1983. The theater is named after the nearby
Mill Mountain
Mill Mountain () is a large flat-topped mountain, high, forming the eastern end of Festive Plateau in the Cook Mountains of Antarctica. This mountain was probably sighted by the British National Antarctic Expedition (1901–04) under Captain Ro ...
, which is a popular theme for the naming of Roanoke landmarks and organizations, including the
Mill Mountain Star
The Roanoke Star, also known as the Mill Mountain Star, is the world's largest freestanding illuminated man-made star, constructed in 1949 at the top of Mill Mountain in Roanoke, Virginia. It is visible for from the air and it sits above the cit ...
,
Mill Mountain Zoo
The Mill Mountain Zoo is a zoo located atop Mill Mountain in Roanoke, Virginia, United States. When it opened in 1952, the zoo was operated by the City of Roanoke. In 1976, the city turned its operation over to the Roanoke Jaycees. The Jaycees ope ...
, and Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea.
Mill Mountain Theatre also has a longstanding relationship with
Hollins University
Hollins University is a private university in Hollins, Virginia. Founded in 1842 as Valley Union Seminary in the historical settlement of Botetourt Springs, it is one of the oldest institutions of higher education for women in the United States ...
and the Hollins Theatre Institute.
History
In January 2009, Mill Mountain Theater's Board of Directors faced mounted debt by ceasing productions to focus on reorganizing the Theater's business operations. All staff members, with the exception of the director of education were laid off. At the same time MMT's landlord, Center in the Square, undertook a complete renovation, moving MMT into a temporary space.
During the reinvention process, educational classes continued and enrollment doubled, becoming one of the theatre's best sources of income during this time period. Mill Mountain Theatre Conservatory (MMTC) also produced a holiday show each year during the reorganization; ''Annie, Jr.'' in 2009, ''Disney's My Son Pinocchio, Geppetto's Musical Tale'' in December 2010, and ''The Best Christmas Pageant Ever'' in 2011 and 2012.
In March 2012, MMT produced ''Greater Tuna'' on the Waldron Stage, its first professional Equity performance since 2009. On April 24, 2013, Mill Mountain Theatre returned to the Trinkle Main Stage in the newly renovated Center in the Square presenting ''The Marvelous Wonderettes''.
On March 16, 2020, In response to
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, MMT announced that they would be "suspending all programming from March 16 - April 13", preventing their production of "Dreamgirls" from opening on March 25. Further suspensions of productions followed through the end of 2020.
Whitewashing controversy
In March 2022, Mill Mountain Theatre was criticized for casting a white actress in the role of Vanessa in their upcoming production of In The Heights. In response to the outcry, the actress stepped down from the role, then the production was canceled altogether. The decision was reversed a day later.
Productions
Mill Mountain Theatre classifies its performances into four types: Trinkle Mainstage, traditional plays and musicals; Young Audiences, shows aimed towards children; The Fringe, plays with contemporary themes and for older audiences; and Mill Mountain Music, showcases where various singers perform songs from a particular genre of music.
During their 2020 season announcement, Mill Mountain Theatre renamed its Waldron Fringe series to The Fringe, to signify that one of its performances would be put on the Trinkle Stage for the first time, rather than both shows being performed on the Waldron stage.
*All shows in the 2020 season were cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, excluding Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical, which was instead filmed and released online. Many shows were rescheduled to be a part of the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
**These Shakespeare plays were adapted from their source material to have a shorter runtime; no other alterations were made.
References
External links
Mill Mountain TheatreListing of past productions
{{Authority control
Roanoke, Virginia
Theatres in Virginia
Tourist attractions in Roanoke, Virginia
1964 establishments in Virginia
Virginia culture