13305149-standardThe Chickasaw Civic Theatre was formed in 1963.  That first season of 1963-64 saw the group perform Our TownCharlie’s Aunt, The Mousetrap and Sabrina Fair.

The location of the theater has changed several times, prompting the founding members to name it “the tepee” since they had a movable home. The first theater was in the Gulf Homes auditorium. When that building was torn down, a move was made to the old bottling plant on Highway 43. When that was no longer available, the theater relocated to a former scout hut, known as the Healy-Van Leer Building, which was located in the hollow between Paul Devine Park and Chickasaw Elementary School. After the building was flooded a few times, the City of Chickasaw, under the leadership of then Mayor J. C. Davis, moved it to a location on Lange Drive, adjacent to City Hall.  This took place in 1973 and was home to the theater until January 2005.

In 1996 the theater was named The Lola Phillips Playhouse, after Lola Phillips, who had been with the theater for most of its first 32 years. Lola retired as resident director in June of 1996.  She once described the playhouse as “the last of the intimate theaters.”

The first musical was The Boyfriend, produced in 1973.  Since then, CCT has produced such Broadway hits as CamelotSouth PacificThe Sound of MusicThe Secret GardenDamn YankeesMan of La ManchaMy Fair Lady, Titanic, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Les Misérables, and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder.

In 2000, CCT attained charitable, non-profit status, making it eligible for tax-deductible donations.

The Chickasaw Civic Theatre Board of Directors

KEN GADOMSKI

PRESIDENT

STACEY DRISKELL

VICE PRESIDENT

NEDRA BLOOM

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

STEVE DAWSON

TREASURER

BROOKE LOVE

SECRETARY

STEVE ALSIP

BOARD MEMBER

JASYN FOWLER

BOARD MEMBER

CHRIS KERN

BOARD MEMBER

MIKE BOX

PAST PRESIDENT

LEONORA HARRISON

PAST PRESIDENT

BARNEY MARCH

BOARD MEMBER

CRYSTAL CASTLE

BOARD MEMBER

TODD HENSON

BOARD MEMBER

HANNAH RHODES

BOARD MEMBER

SEAN DUDLEY

BOARD MEMBER

CAMDEN JEWELL

BOARD MEMBER

SHADOE VALENTIN

BOARD MEMBER

JEAN FAUSAK

BOARD MEMBER

JOHN PAUL JONES

BOARD MEMBER

ANGIE WILKIE

BOARD MEMBER

CYNTHIA FEIRMAN

BOARD MEMBER

E. A. KEEBLE

BOARD MEMBER