Community Partner: Cherokee Theatre Company

In 1986, a group of theatre-loving volunteers came together to form the Cherokee Little Theatre Players. Now known as Cherokee Theatre Company (CTC), the group has performed in venues all over Cherokee County including local schools, restaurants, town squares and auditoriums.

In 1996, they found a home at the Cherokee Arts Center in Canton where they presented works such as Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Steel Magnolias, Little Shop of Horrors, as well as an annual murder-mystery dinner theater production. In 2009, they moved to the historic Canton Theater on Main Street, staging such favorites as You Cant Take It with You, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, A Murder is Announced, Greater Tuna and the Metropolitan Atlanta Theatre Award-winning drama, The Lion in Winter.

CTC, which recently closed its 31st season, currently performs their main stage productions at the Canton Theatre. Their workshop, an airplane hangar on Arnold Mill Road, provides space for storage of building materials for scenery, props and costumes. There is a designated, stage-sized area where auditions and rehearsals take place prior to moving into the theater the week before opening night.

Throughout its production history, CTC has performed a wide variety of theatre genres including classic dramas, physical comedies, readers theatre productions and audience participation dinner theatre productions. CTC strives to provide a creative environment for theatre arts by producing and supporting quality theatrical events for the local community.

As a 501(c)3, non-profit organization, CTC endeavors to not only bring entertainment to the community, but to provide educational and skill development opportunities to the area. CTC recently expanded its theatre tech outreach by working with three schools in the community as Partners in Education in an effort to continue to serve as a source of learning for all aspects of theatre.

In June 2016, Ed Palombo, CTCs founder and president, stepped down to celebrate thirty years of successfully bringing performing arts to the area. Though he still sits on the Board of Directors along with Rebecca Bowden, Jeff Bennett, Sarah Nation, Peggy Waylor, Myrna Feldman and Darrell Blalock, he relinquished his presidential role with CTC to Rebecca Hogue.

Along with the Board of Directors, who handle the business operations of the company, there is an ever-growing group of volunteers who help build the sets, run the box office and concessions, help backstage and, of course, act on stage.

CTC will open its 32nd season in September with Red Velvet Cake War, a hilarious southern comedy. The rest of the season will include the heartwarming comedy Over the River and Through the Woods, the award-winning Driving Miss Daisy, and the Victorian thriller, Angel Street.

More information on CTC, their productions, and tickets can be found at CherokeeTheatre.org or by calling their box office at 770-591-0282.