Waco Civic Theatre

Waco Civic Theatre History

The Beginning
The roots of the Waco Civic Theatre date back to the 1920's when the work of many enlightened citizens combined to form the Waco Little Theatre (WLT), which operated from 1925 to 1936.

Its Own Entity
In 1945, then chairman of the Baylor University Drama Department Dr. Paul Baker and a team of WLT participants worked to reform the organization that would take the shape of Waco Civic Theatre (WCT) three years later. Dr. Baker collaborated with architect James Hull Miller of Shreveport, LA, to design and build the new WCT at its current locale. So noteworthy was the success of their teamwork that the new theatre was commended in 1963 by the Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects as one of the three best-designed theatres of its kind in the United States. Over the years, WCT has undergone several additions and renovations, thanks to grants and donations by the Cooper Foundation; the Waco Foundation; and Mr. Frank Baird, Jr. of Buffalo, NY in an endowment honoring his mother, Mrs. Flora Cameron Baird.

Currently
Today, WCT produces six Main Stage Productions, ranging from works by Shakespeare to Neil Simon. Additionally, aspiring local artists and youth work in partnership to produce Studio Shows that are scheduled between Main Stage Productions and other events.