Dayton Theatre Guild

The Dayton Theatre Guild opened with "Outward Bound" at the Dayton Art Institute in late 1945 and has continuously staged live theater in every year since with total productions nearing 400. It has a tradition of good plays done well, utilizing all-volunteer casts, crews and administration (with no membership fees) and participation open to anyone wishing to become a part. Anyone with a passion for theater can find a home here regardless of prior experience.

Like all theater groups, the Guild struggled to find a home in its early years. With performances at the USO, the Loretto, and the Dayton Art Institute, the theater finally settling in a Carriage House in Dayton View at 607 Belmonte Park North (not much bigger than the average living room!) in 1950 and moving to its present location on Salem Avenue in 1963. The existing theater is a converted (by sweat and blood) postal substation that features a 90-seat thrust stage backed up by sophisticated light and sound systems installed by Guild volunteers. First time visitors are often amazed at the variety and scope of productions that have been telescoped into the tiny playing area. Quite literally, every square inch of the 3000 square foot building is utilized. (Our largest production was the musical "Of Thee I Sing!" with a cast of about a crowded dressing room!)

The Guild has a tradition of never repeating plays that has only rarely been broken. Over the years we have presented a broad spectrum of excellent scripts often done as area premieres such as "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" long before New York or Hollywood had discovered it; "A Peasant of EL Salvador" that exposed the abuses of the right and our government's participation; and "As Is" brought home the reality of AIDS early in the epidemic's onslaught. Contemporary scripts are always a part of our season. Our production of "Old Wicked Songs" was described by one critic as "reaching new heights for Community Theater". We enjoy reviving American classics such as the mad-cap Marx Brothers' romp "Room Service", Arthur Miller's "All My Sons" and Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" Nobody's perfect so the list contains some Thanksgiving fare as well. Fortunately, it is a small list so we'll save that for some future Cocktail hour.

Always interested in innovation, from 1996 to 2001, the Guild was honored to share its stage with First Stage Productions, the labor of love of John and Marty Riley. Together with the other dedicated members of FirStage Productions, they treated Guild audiences to 19 outstanding new plays that had never before had a professional production. Searching the nation for award winning new plays, they brought us tears of laughter, sadness, high drama, slap-stick comedy, and a chance to share a little bit of theater history. (How often do you get a chance to see a brand new play?) Sometimes even the playwright came to see his or her brain-child come to life. The concept of FirStage will live in future Guild seasons. We will attempt to produce one new play every year along with our regular season of established plays.

Since 1998, our Guild Kids summer workshop has provided a program for children 7-13 culminating in a staged production for children wherein the class acts, makes their own costumes, builds their own set, etc. Great stuff and the kids love it.

In 2008 the Guild purchased the building formerly occupied by the Dayton Gym Club. This building has ample space to allow the consolidation of our costumes, props and furniture under one roof. The new location will continue with the same kind of intimate thrust stage that our audiences have loved for over 50 years, and the building is large enough to permit simultaneous rehearsal of two plays--something we do not have the space for today. With that said, our new home requires a significant amount of work to bring it up to the required occupancy and safety standards. So while we may no longer have a "building fund," we now have a "moving fund" and greatly appreciate our patrons' generous support.

The anticipation and excitement continue to grow. The Dayton Theatre Guild has entered the second millennium with the same hunger to do good theater and willingness to work that characterized our founders in 1945. We plan to be around a long time.