A REIMAGINED CULTURAL HUB PENSACOLA LITTLE THEATRE LAUNCHES CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TO REDESIGN CULTURAL CENTER by Morgan Cole
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rom avant-garde, thought-provoking productions and beloved theatrical classics to children’s productions and everything in between, Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT) has been providing diverse cultural experiences in Northwest Florida for more than 30 years. The humble beginnings of PLT date back to 1926 when a group of individuals at the old San Carlos Hotel established the Pensacola Civic Drama Players organization which performed dramatic theatre for three years before the onset of the Great Depression. In 1936, after a period of “dark years,” the organization was established through the Works Progress Administration, which provided
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funding to create theatre companies across the country as part of the federal government’s recovery efforts following the Great Depression. The new organization became officially incorporated one year later as Pensacola Little Theatre, Inc. Early performances were held in the old Chamber Commerce auditorium and later at Pensacola High School, until 1949 when the theatre's Board of Directors developed a plan for a home that PLT could call its own. In January of 1952, PLT hosted its first show in a World War II-era Quonset. The theatre’s all-volunteer productions continued there through the 1970s. After more than two decades, the Quonset hut began to deteriorate and the Board of
Rendering of a view of the renovated Clark Family Cultural Center. Courtesy of PLT/ Carter Quina
Directors felt that renovations would be too costly, so they began to search for a new home for the theatre. In 1977, the Quonset building was sold, and PLT moved into the old Florida Movie House on Palafox Street, but board members and devoted volunteers never gave up the dream of moving the theatre into its own home again. Through a commissioned study, PLT later found that numerous local arts organizations had similar needs. After convincing the Escambia County Commissioners that a central location with space and facilities for existing and new arts groups was needed, PLT was awarded the deed to the old Escambia County Court of Records Building and Jail. Constructed in 1911, the long-abandoned landmark was renovated into what is now the Pensacola Cultural Center and in 1996, PLT proudly hosted its first production— The Wizard of Oz—in its new permanent home at the Pensacola Cultural Center in the heart of downtown Pensacola. Today, the non-profit community theatre serves as a cultural gathering space for the community and is host to numerous musicals, comedies, dramas, children’s shows, youth acting classes as well as a
