Great Escape: Marietta Theatre in the Square Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Your teens are holding a car wash at the high school Saturday. The grandparents volunteered to take the younger children to a movie Sunday afternoon. Your tweens take tap on Wednesday evening. It’s your time. Take it.

Each week, we’ll tell you about great ideas to give you a much-deserved break and make your life a little easier—maybe a whole lot easier.

Beginning today, the 2011-12 season will mark Theatre in the Square’s 30th anniversary season in Marietta. On Golden Pond opens today and continues through Sept. 11. This play was the first production of the theatre in September 1982­—also on the historic Marietta Square.

Since then, the theatre has had 25 world premieres—12 of them developed or commissioned by the theatre—and numerous regional premieres. Also, the theatre has produced more than 220 widely diverse productions.

The additional four Main Stage productions include:

• Ghost-Writer (Sept. 28 – Oct. 20)
• The Ladies Man (Jan. 18 – Feb. 26) "based on the classic farce by Georges Feydeau, Tailleur Pour Dames
• Flyin’ West (March 7 – April 8) by Atlanta’s Pearl Cleage; and
• A fifth show to be announced, which will run April 25 – May 27.

In addition to the five Main Stage productions, Theatre in the Square will bring back two audience favorites for the holidays:

• Sanders Family Christmas (Nov. 22 – Jan. 1) and
• The 1940’s Radio Hour (Dec. 17 – Jan. 1) to be performed off-site at Southern Polytechnic University’s Joe Mack Wilson Theatre.

For children, The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs! will run in October.

A bonus show on the Alley Stage will be Red Letter Jesus (Feb. 4 – March 8), a premiere performed by Brad Sherrill, featuring the words of Jesus from Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Season tickets are on sale by calling 770-422-8369. Season ticket packages begin as low as $85. 

This professional, not-for-profit organization was founded by Producing Director Palmer Wells and the late Michael Horne. This largest professional theatre company in Cobb County reaches more than 50,000 people a year through five Main Stage shows, two holiday shows, a summer show, a children’s show and a bonus show.

Theatre in the Square is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors made up of civic leaders from around the metro Atlanta area. 

With an annual budget of more than $1.5 million, the theatre draws about 65 percent of its funding from ticket sales with support from foundations, corporations, city and state government and individual gifts.

The full-time staff is comprised of more than a dozen. Additionally, the theatre hires about 140 artists (actors, directors and designers) each year. 

Around 5,000 subscribers have a year-round commitment to the theatre. Each play sells many single tickets as well.

Main Stage shows offer a Wednesday matinee option, which is usually filled with groups from local senior organizations as well as individual ticket buyers. At least one play a year features extensive daytime matinees for student groups.

The theatre regularly receives accolades for the caliber of its work. In the spring of 2007, Wells was named a PBS Lexus Leader of the Arts. 

For its 2008-09 season, the theatre received four Suzi Awards for Best Production, Director, Actor and Actress. The Suzis are the metro Atlanta awards for excellence in professional theatre.  

Then for its 2009-10 season, Theatre in the Square received 11 Suzi Bass Award nominations, winning three. 

Last year, the theatre received the Kennesaw State University Flourish Award for Outstanding Arts Organization.