Theatre Jacksonville is a

community theatre Community theatre refers to any theatrical performance made in relation to particular communities—its usage includes theatre made by, with, and for a community. It may refer to a production that is made entirely by a community with no outside he ...

based in

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. One of the oldest continually producing community theatres in the United States, its building, also known as the Little Theatre, was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1991. Theatre Jacksonville is based in the neighborhood of

San Marco San Marco is one of the six sestiere (Venice), sestieri of Venice, lying in the heart of the city as the main place of Venice. San Marco also includes the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. Although the district includes Piazza San Marco, Saint ...

. It puts on numerous productions throughout the year and runs a children's camp called Camp Theatre Jacksonville every summer.

History

The Little Theatre company was founded at

in 1919 and then incorporated as "The Little Theatre of Jacksonville" in 1926. Cigar magnate Carl Swisher financed a new building in the

neighborhood (2032 San Marco Boulevard) in 1927. It took until January 4, 1938 for the first premiere to take place, namely ''Boy meets Girl''. Jax FL Little Theatre02

In early 1969, the name of the company was changed to "Theatre Jacksonville, Inc." and the theatre was re-incorporated. Mayor

Hans Tanzler Hans Gearhart Tanzler, Jr. (March 11, 1927 – July 25, 2013) was an American politician and judge. He served as Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1967 to 1979. During his administration, the City of Jacksonville consolidated with Duval Coun ...

issued a proclamation naming Theatre Jacksonville as Jacksonville's "Official Theatre" in 1972, a distinction reconfirmed by all succeeding mayors. On July 12, 1991, the Little Theatre building was added to the U.S.

. The $500,000 Harold K. Smith Playhouse Endowment for facility maintenance was established in June, 1997. In October, 2000 the theatre Facade renovation was completed and the facility was formally dedicated as the Harold K. Smith Playhouse.

References

External links

Official Theatre Jacksonville Website

Duval County listings
Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs History of Jacksonville, Florida National Register of Historic Places in Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

Art Deco architecture in Florida

Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Florida 1938 establishments in Florida {{US-theat-struct-stub