For more than 50 years, excellence has been at the heart of the mission of Arizona Theatre Company. As a cornerstone of the cultural life of our state, ATC has achieved prominence through the dedication and imagination of hundreds of artists, craftspeople, and supporting audiences in both Tucson and Phoenix.
The Beginning
Arizona Theatre Company was established as Arizona Civic Theatre in 1967 by Sandy Rosenthal and a group of civic and business leaders concerned about the demise of community theatre activity in Tucson.
The company’s first season consisted of four productions presented in the ballroom of the Santa Rita Hotel. Total attendance for the season was 4,000, and the operating budget was $8,000. The following year, the newly formed Arizona Commission on the Arts and Humanities awarded its first grant to the theatre.
Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner
The Future is Now
With an active Board, and both Matt August and Geri Wright in place, excitement for the future was palpable.
In March, we announced the 56th Season grand slam lineup, in which every show is either a Tony Award winner or nominee, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, or has been adapted into a blockbuster film.
