Adirondack Regional Theatre: Celebrating 25 Years of Community, Creativity, and Growth
Looking back over the past 25 years, Adirondack Regional Theatre has experienced many meaningful and transformative moments. The company’s very first production, Pippin, was a major milestone. Having the support from the City of Plattsburgh to perform at the Lions Club Bandshell along the Saranac River, in the shadow of the McDonough Monument, was another early achievement that helped solidify the group’s presence. Later, ART became the “Theatre Company in Residence” at Clinton Community College for seven years, which provided the group much-needed stability as they began to establish themselves in the North Country. One of their crowning accomplishments was becoming the first local community theater to perform on the historic, newly renovated Strand Center Theatre stage.
Several productions stand out in ART’s history. One of the most unforgettable was The Wizard of Oz at the Bandshell, which drew an estimated 3,000 audience members. A rainbow appeared over the stage on opening night, a moment that felt like a sign they were on the right path. Another standout was Disney’s High School Musical, which played to 11 standing-room-only audiences at Clinton Community College. The first large-scale production at the Strand, The Producers, marked a new era for ART and led to continued growth, most recently seen in their production of The Play That Goes Wrong. The group’s transformation from a single annual show to producing eight to ten shows a year has been, in their words, “mind-blowing.”
In the beginning, ART faced significant challenges. Starting a nonprofit theater group without a home base or consistent performance space was no easy feat. Every production required the team to not only cast the show and gather a crew but also secure spaces for auditions, rehearsals, and performances. They were fortunate to find support from the North Country Co-Op and Peru Central School for rehearsal space. The City of Plattsburgh provided performance venues like the old Farmers Market building, the Lions Club Bandshell, and the former Westelcom Pops stage (now the Betty Little Art Park). Financially, the group depended on donations from individuals and local businesses, especially since many early performances were outdoors and ticket-free.
As ART grew, so did community support. More members joined and more businesses stepped up to help. The Chapel Hill Foundation is an excellent example of this, as over the years this local funder has consistently backed the group. With continued business sponsorship and community interest, ART was able to foster their own growth and support the growth of other local organizations, and they did so by donating ticket sales and proceeds to the Strand Center for the Arts, the JECO backpack program, local scout troops, first responders, and other local theater groups including Chazy Music Theatre and Seton Catholic Drama Club. Audience numbers increased, the crew and cast pool expanded, and ART added new programs including touring youth musicals, theater camps, murder mysteries, dramas, comedies, Shakespeare productions, and a monthly readers theater. During COVID-19, the company even produced two online shows and a retro-style radio drama broadcast on a local station.
The kinds of productions ART presents have evolved as well. While the group started with classic Broadway musicals aimed at families, ART now also stages thought-provoking dramas like The Crucible, The Guys, and 12 Angry Jurors, as well as more offbeat musicals like Rocky Horror Show, classical works like Shakespeare, and farces such as The Play That Goes Wrong. The group’s membership is continually growing and includes not just performers, but people skilled in costume design, set building, tech, social media, and other creative and operational roles. ART strives to welcome everyone who wants to be part of the theater community, and anyone interested is encouraged to reach out via info@adktheatre.com.
As ART celebrates this 25-year milestone, they remain focused on the future. The organization hopes to continue expanding its variety of productions, strengthen educational offerings, and deepen community outreach. One major goal is to find a permanent home that can serve as a rehearsal space, business office, warehouse, and performance venue. Establishing such a space would allow ART to grow even further and provide consistent support to both its productions and participants.
From humble beginnings with no dedicated space or funding, to becoming one of the North Country’s most active and beloved community theater organizations, ART’s journey has been powered by perseverance and community spirit. The past 25 years have laid the foundation for an exciting future, one that promises even more creativity, collaboration, and impact.
As the group reflects on how far they’ve come, there’s a shared hope that in another 25 years, they'll be looking back once again only this time from a permanent home, surrounded by even more artists, stories, and memories made through the transformative power of live theater.
Photos curtesy of Adirondack Regional Theatre.
