The Shoals Community Theatre Board of Directors

The Zodiac Players Board of Directors

Zodiac Players History

The Zodiac Players are the adult half of the Shoals Community Theatre Group.  The group also includes the children's theatre group, The Gingerbread Players.

The roots of the Shoals Community Theatre can be traced back over a half century ago to an earlier theatrical venture, The Tri-Cities Community Theatre.  Its first production "Kind Lady" was presented May 20-21, 1948 at Kilby School Auditorium. Our organization attempts to cultivate the area's talent, whether it be on stage or backstage, and bring that talent to the public.  Auditions are open to anyone, regardless of experience.  We're an open organization.  All of our board members are unpaid volunteers with only the production directors and some essential production staff being given a complimentary gratuity for their services. Without the voluntary and essential professional services given by our production directors, we would not be enjoying the success of a community theatre effort.

The earlier group had no permanent theatre home and survived on something of a vagabond existence.  Productions were shifted from various high school auditoriums throughout the Shoals and, after about 12 years, the organization became dormant.  Between 1948 and 1961 the Tri-Cities Community Theatre staged 25 productions at UNA's Kilby Auditorium, Sheffield HS, and the Tuscumbian movie theatre. Among its amateur players were future television star, George "Goober" Lindsey and future Alabama Senator Howell Heflin. When the organization became dormant in the 60s, it left a small amount of money in a checking account-$237.82.  In 1971 those leftover funds provided seed money for the organization of the Zodiac Players, which, along with a grant from the Alabama State Council for the Arts and Humanities, allowed a more permanent facility in Florence, the old Firestone garage on Hermitage Drive, to be a home base for an intimate playhouse.  The first production of the Zodiac Players was William Inge's award-winning Broadway drama, "Bus Stop" on March 2, 1972.  As of its most recent 2003-04 season, Zodiac has presented 163 productions involving hundreds of aspiring performers and backstage workers with over 120,000 audience supporters.

The children's theatre wing, the Gingerbread Players, was independently formed about 1976 by a group of parents who were interested in promoting the growth of children's theatre in the Shoals. The Gingerbread Players have continued as one of their primary goals to bring a theatrical experience to children in their school environment.  Many children who might not otherwise attend a performance in a theater building are reached at their own schools.  A complimentary performance is always presented for the children in the host school. The first production of the Gingerbread Players, "Hansel and Gretel" was presented in October 1976.  As of the current year, 108 productions will have been presented by the Gingerbread Players.  Among its presentations, classic and well-known titles of both dramas and musicals include: Cinderella, Peter Pan, Snow White, Heidi, The Wizard of Oz, Little Women, Alice in Wonderland, Winnie the Pooh, Tom Sawyer, Sleeping Beauty, Treasure Island, The Hobbitt, The Velveteen Rabbit, Anne of Green Gables, Sound of Music, Oliver, The King and I, James and the Giant Peach, Wind in the Willows, The Secret Garden, Big River, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  The enthusiasm that these plays have generated in the minds and actions of the children in attendance continue to show as the young former audiences have become stage participants in our current productions - the enriching cycle continues uninterrupted.

In 1993 the Gingerbread Players joined with the Zodiac Players under the umbrella organization, The Shoals Community Theatre, in order to further enhance the efforts and resources of the individual organizations.  In addition to our regular seasons, our organization now is a regular participant in the annual W.C. Handy Music Festival - we cosponsor the "Listening Room" venue at the Zodiac Playhouse, during which professional performers provide free entertainment to the public. Although Zodiac continues to perform in a rented facility and Gingerbread, primarily in schools, it is the combined dream and effort for our organization to seek a permanent and more functional facility for continued growth of the Shoals community's participation in the theatrical arts. We're proud of our heritage and look forward to an ongoing support from our community in our future endeavors.

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