Backdoor Theatre

Backdoor Theatre is a non-profit community theatre that has a reputation for producing high quality Broadway-style productions. We have two stages (Main Stage and Dinner Stage) which have produced over 600 productions and concerts.

Established in 1971, Backdoor Theatre was originally in the basement of the Weeks Mansion at Kell & Harrison. Theatre patrons entered through the door around back, which created the name “Backdoor Theatre”. After a couple of years we moved to a building at 10th and Travis, finally moving to our current location in 1976.

Our current location was donated by W Erle White. It was originally People’s Ice House and was built in 1920. Backdoor raised the floor in the tower to create the Main Stage Theatre and its lobby. Most of the work was done by volunteers and a lot of generous donations. If you look closely you can still see the crane pulley at the top of the tower in the Main Stage Theatre. The thick brick walls create a terrific acoustic sound, not to mention great insulation. In 1981 we opened the Dinner Theatre. Instead of raising the floor we built levels from the ground up to create a unique and intimate atmosphere for a perfect theatre experience.