30 years at Charlotte Rep
1975 Actors Contemporary Ensemble is founded by Steve Umberger with Beverly Brown Lueke, Terri Haugen, Becky Kent Story and a group of actors, to create an independent professional theatre, not under the wing of an existing organization. The company was formed to create opportunities for actors and audiences, and to offer contemporary plays from the national scene that were not commonly available elsewhere in the city at the time.
1976 ACE's first production, a program of one-act plays by prominent contemporary writers, is the first theatre production at Spirit Square Arts Center (formerly the city's First Baptist Church) in its 75 seat playhouse (Entertainment Place, formerly the church chapel). Spirit Square is the city's first arts center, reflecting its growth and arts culture, and creating a home for newly formed companies including ACE, Omimeo, the first Charlotte Shakespeare Company, Ebony Group & Company, and Spelvin Theatre. Many Charlotte arts organizations relocate their offices to Spirit Square.
1977 ACE incorporates as a non-profit organization, producing area/regional premieres of 4-5 notable contemporary plays annually.
1978-1980 Spirit Square closes for a second phase of renovation; in the absence of any other independent spaces, ACE performs in schools and at Children's Theatre of Charlotte (with whom it also collaborates).
1980 ACE becomes resident company in the 700 seat NCNB Performance Place (later McGlohon Theatre), Spirit Square's newly renovated theatre, formerly the church's sanctuary. Steve Umberger and Jane Hadley become Co-Artistic Directors; ACE becomes a professional Actor's Equity theatre with a summer-only rotating rep season cast in Charlotte and New York.
1984 Mark Woods, Co-Founder of N.C. Shakespeare Festival, becomes ACE's Producing Director, and introduces a festival of staged readings of new plays. The festival will grow to become a central part of the annual CRT programming and present over 60 new scripts.
1986 The name is changed from Actors Contemporary Ensemble to Charlotte Repertory Theatre and production expands to year-round operation.
1987-1989 The Rep again uses other spaces while Spirit Square is further renovated. CRT's playbill is expanded to include older plays and classics.
1990 The company returns to Spirit Square's newly created Duke Power Theatre (later, Duke Energy Theatre) as a resident company.
1990-1992 Steve Umberger assumes the title Founder & Artistic Director, and Keith Martin joins the Rep as Producer and Managing Director. Mark Woods leaves the company after directing its inaugural production at the newly opened Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.
1992 Charlotte Rep becomes the resident professional theatre company in the Booth Playhouse at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center.
1993 Claudia Carter Covington assumes leadership of the Rep's New Play Festival as the annual event grows in national participation and recognition.
1996 The Rep is one of the first six theatres nationwide licensed to produce the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning Angels in America after its original Broadway run, and hosts playwright Tony Kushner during the Charlotte run. The production makes international news, and becomes the best selling single event ever at the Rep.
1995-1997 The Rep collaborates on an unprecedented three year project with Charlotte Symphony, staging three of Shakespeare's plays in the 2,000 seat Belk Theatre. The three consecutive year collaboration uses complete texts and classical scores. The project combines the work of four companies together on stage (Charlotte Rep, Charlotte Symphony, Oratorio Singers, and members of N.C. Dance Theatre). The first of the collaborations, A Midsummer Night's Dream, breaks the Belk's then-existing attendance record.
1998-2002 The Rep achieves a subscriber base of 3,000 and total attendance of 85% of capacity, operates with balanced budget and no accumulated deficit, and attains membership in the national alliance LORT (League of Resident Theatres). CRT is the only theatre in the region - and one of only two in N.C. - to become LORT members.
2001-2002 The Rep celebrates its 25th anniversary, and Umberger and Martin leave the company.
2002-2005 The events of 9/11 create severe economic conditions for the country and its arts groups. The Rep, under new leadership, incurs a new $300,000+ deficit. Four Charlotte theatre companies close including Charlotte Rep.
2005 Charlotte Rep ceases operations in February 2005 after 29 years in continuous operation.
City and metro population growth during the Rep's years, and after:
1980 315,000, metro area 1,300,000 - 47th most populous U.S. city
1990 395,000, metro area 1,600,000
2000 540,000, metro area 2,000,000
2005 645,000, metro area 2,195,000
(2020 860,000, metro area 2,600,000 - 15th most populous U.S. city)
See directing at CRT
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