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Center In the Square building front where the theater is located.

Mill Mountain Theatre is a theater located at its Center in the Square¹ facility on the Market Square in downtown Roanoke, Virginia, in the United States of America. The theater is named after the nearby Mill Mountain, which is a popular theme for the naming of Roanoke landmarks and organizations, including the Mill Mountain Star, Mill Mountain Zoo and Mill Mountain Coffee and Tea².

Early history

File:Woods08.jpg

Photo from a 2008 "Into the Woods" performance.

In 1964, two New York producers established a summer stock theater in a vacant resort inn on the highest point in Roanoke, Virginia. Soon dubbed Mill Mountain Playhouse, the company underwent a series of institutional changes, finally incorporating as a not-for-profit, non-Equity resident stock theatre. When the original Playhouse burned down in 1976, the company moved to the recently re-opened Grandin Theatre³, an old movie house in an established neighborhood.⁴

The present-day Mill Mountain Theatre

The opening of Center in the Square¹ in 1983 brought with it a year-round production schedule and a new name – Mill Mountain Theatre. The growing company’s ever-increasing quality and scope was a major force in the renaissance of a once-dying downtown.⁴

From these modest beginnings grew one of the most respected regional theaters in the U.S. Mill Mountain Theatre now presents world premieres, dramatic classics, full-scale musicals, youth-oriented productions, and educational classes for all ages on its two stages in Roanoke and through touring productions that travel throughout Virginia. As a professional, year-round, regional theater with roots in its community and excellence as its primary objective, the theater has proudly served the region and the industry for almost 40 years.⁴

Within its shops and offices spread across the Center in the Square complex, the theater has created almost 400 productions, including world premieres and regional premieres such as the national hits "All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten" and "Children of Eden."

The Norfolk Southern Festival of New Works^[1] served as an annual home for the winners of the New Play Competition (no longer running), and now showcases other notable playwrights such as Sherry Kramer, Jeffrey Stanley⁵, Julie Jensen⁶, Tom Ziegler⁷, Jim Henry and Robert Caisley⁸.

Past Seasons

Mountain Years

1964: Carousel Our Town Look Homeward, Angel Guys and Dolls My Fair Lady The Disenchanted Born Yesterday Gypsy Irma La Douce The Fantasticks

1965: Oh Dad, Poor Dad...(Carter) 1000 Clowns Five-Finger Exercise Stop The World, I Want To Get Off Riverwind ? Kismet Dark Halo (Carter) Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf Mary, Mary (Norton) Romeo & Juliet ? A Funny Thing...Forum (Albright) The Glass Menagerie (Sander)

1966: Man For All Seasons (Casey) Gigi (Casey) Diary of Anne Frank (Patrick) The Fantasticks (Casey) South Pacific (Casey) My Three Angels (Huddleston) The Music Man (Patrick)

1967: The Sound of Music (Mackey) A Streetcar Named Desire (Mackey) Barefoot in the Park (Mackey) Tobacco Road (Mackey) How To Succeed in Business... (Mackey)

1968: The Boyfriend (Wells) Teahouse of the August Moon (Wells) Marat/Sade (Wells) Arsenic and Old Lace (Wells) The Imaginary Invalid (Wells) Once Upon A Mattress (Wells)

1969: A Funny Thing...Forum (Wells) The Man Who Came To Dinner (Wells) The Homecoming (Wells) The Lion In Winter (Wells) You Know I Can't Hear You...(Wells)

1970: Eiffel Tower Wedding Party (Ayers) The Impossible Years (Ayers) Money (Lampert) Summer and Smoke (Ayers) Winnie-The-Pooh (Ayers) Us (Ayers)

1971: Harvey (Ayers) The Crucible (Ayers) Carousel (Ayers) The Apple Tree (Ayers)

1972: Oklahoma! (Ayers) The Might of the Iguana (Ayers) Thieves Carnival (Gordh) Camelot (Ayers)

1973: Anything Goes (Ayers) The Birthday Party (Ayers) I Do, I Do (Lampert) Man of La Mancha (Ayers)

1974: Gypsy (Lampert) The Effect of Gamma Rays...(Ayers) Blithe Spirit (Ayers) Promises, Promises (Ayers)

1975: Kiss Me, Kate (Ayers) Butterflies Are Free (Hodgin) The House of Blue Leaves (Ayers) Little Mary Sunshine (Ayers)

1976: Guys and Dolls (Ayers) The Fantasticks (Ayers) Abie's Irish Rose (Hodgin) Girl Crazy (Ayers)

Grandin Years

1977: A Funny Thing...Forum (Ayers) The Seven Year Itch (Hodgin) The Mousetrap (Ayers) The Sunshine Boys (Hodgin)

1978: Irene (Ayers) Ten Little Indians (Ayers) Vanities (Ayers) Rodgers & Hart; A Musical Celebration (Ayers) Ravenswood (Winter '79) (Ayers)

1979 The Pajama Game (Ayers) Diamond Studs (Ayers) Dames At Sea (Ayers) Oh, Coward! (Ayers) Dear Liar (Winter '80) (Ayers)

1980: Annie Get Your Gun (Ayers) Sly Fox (Ayers) A Doll's House (Ayers) The Robber Bridegroom (Ayers) Winnie-The-Pooh (Winter '81) (Ayers)

1981: Oklahoma! (Ayers) Deathtrap (Hodgin) The Good Doctor (Ayers) Hot Grog (Ayers) Aesop's Falables (Winter '82) (Chapman)

1982: This Bright Day (Ayers) Don't Drink The Water (Ayers) Bus Stop (Ayers) The Sound of Music (Chapman) You're A Good Man, C. B. (Winter '83) (Ayers)

1983: Anything Goes (Ayers) Summer and Smoke (Ayers) My Three Angels (Baron) Guys and Dolls (Ayers)

Center Years

1984: Camelot (Ayers) Children of a Lesser God (Baron) Cinderella (Jr. League - Baron) The Dining Room (Ayers) In Pursuit of Mr. Jefferson (Hodgin) A Life in the Theatre (Ayers) Two By Two (Ayers) Annie (Ayers) Grease (Baron)

1985: Peter Pan (Ayers) Sleuth (Baron) The Member of the Wedding (Ayers) The Wizard of Oz (Jr. League - Baron) See How They Run (Baron) The Music Man (Ayers) The Most Happy Fella (Baron)

1986: Scrooge (Width) The Miracle Worker (Baron) The Jungle Book (Jr. League - Patterson) Pump Boys and Dinettes (Caldwell) On Golden Pond (Width) West Side Story (Lampert) Fiddler On The Roof (Lampert)

1987: Festival Yellow Dog Crossing (Egan) On The Verge (Hodgin) Every Horse and Rider (Best) Shenandoah (Hodgin) Blood Knot (Best) Cyrano de Bergerac (Hodgin) Alice in Wonderland (Jr. League - Logan & Hooper) Noises Off (Hodgin) Ain't Misbehavin' (Hamilton) Peace Child (Best) South Pacific (Hodgin) A Chorus Line (Lampert)

1988: Tides (Best) Oliver! (Baron) True West (Best) The Comedy of Errors (Hodgin) The Pale Pink Dragon (Jr. League - Best) Amadeus (Hodgin) Cotton Patch Gospel (Best) Man of La Mancha (Hodgin) The Wiz (Baron)

1989: Festival The Hill Matheson Affair (Bova) A Christian Burial (Hodgin) The Proposal (Granger) Countdown (Granger) O'Henry's Christmas Carol (Hodgin) The Taming of the Shrew (Hodgin) The Pied Piper (Jr. League - Bova) Sunday In The Park With George (Zulia) Steel Magnolias (Hodgin) Gypsy (Zulia) Jesus Christ Superstar (Zulia) Home (TB) (Bova)

1990: The All Night Strut (Zulia) My Fair Lady (Hodgin) Festival: The Dropper (Zulia) Zeke's Vision (Bova) The Bug (Hodgin) The Glass Menagerie (Bova) The Emperor's New Clothes (Jr. League - Couch) The Road To Mecca (TB) (Bova) A Walk in the Woods (TB) (Hodgin) 1776 (Zulia) Magic To Do (TB) (Zulia) You Can't Take It With You (Hodgin)

1991: Evita (Zulia) A Christmas Carol (Hodgin) Festival: Rooms of the King (Zulia) I Don't Want To Die In China (Sutton) A Midsummer Night's Dream (Hodgin) I Believe In Make Believe (Jr. League - Couch) The Boys Next Door (Bova) T-Bone 'N Weasel (TB) (Zulia) Me and My Girl (Zulia) Tomfoolery (TB) (Hodgin)

1992: Woody Guthrie's American Song (Hodgin) Children of Eden (Zulia) Festival: And We Were Left Darkling (Bova) White Money (Zulia) Winnie-The-Pooh (Jr. League - White) The Piano Lesson (Hodgin) Lend Me A Tenor (Hodgin) 110 In The Shade (Zulia) All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten (TB) (Zulia)

1993: Pump Boys and Dinettes (Zulia) A Wonderful Life (Hodgin) Festival: In The Presence (TB) (Bova) Partial Objects (TB) (Zulia) Hamlet (Hodgin) The Velveteen Rabbit (Baron) The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (TB) (Zulia) 42nd Street (Zulia) Foxfire (Hodgin)

1994: All I Really Need To Knoe I Learned In Kindergarten (Zulia) The 1940's Radio Hour (Hodgin) Festival: The Straight Man (Gregg) Staged Readings: A God in the House (Hodgin) Gun Play (Dvorscak) Where The Sun Never Sets (Zulia) To Kill A Mockingbird (Zulia) Charlotte's Web (Baron) Five Guys Named Moe (Hodgin/Ingram) Hello, Dolly (Zulia) A Few Good Men (Hodgin)

1995: Always...Patsy Cline (Swindley) NS Festival: Jewish Sports Heros & Texas Intellectuals (Hodgin) Blues For Miss Buttercup (Zulia) A Cherry Phosphate Afternoon (Bova) Over The Garden Wall: Beatrix Potter & Friends (TB) Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Zulia) Keely & Du (TB) (Zulia) Romeo & Juliet (Hodgin) Grace & Glorie (TB) (Hodgin) The Snow Queen (Baron) Inside The Music (Chadman) The King & I (Zulia) Forever Plaid (Geraci)

1996: NS Festival: Small Sacrfices (Bova) Ned & Dan's History Emporium (Zschiegner) Through The Picture Tube (Arek) Cowboy Cafe (Dryer) She Loves Me (Stafford) Falsettos (TB) (Zschiegner) Macbeth (Hodgin) Three Tall Women (TB) (Beasley) Grace & Glorie (TB) (Hodgin) Beauty and the Beast (Baron) Rumors (Hodgin) Crazy For You (Hodgin) Nunsense (Geraci)

1997: NS Festival: Larry's Favorite Chocolate Cake (Zschiegner) Tenderhooks (Goodwin) Dream, Dream, Dream (Kaplan) The Christmas Cup (TB) (Hodgin) A Christmas Carol (Hodgin) All In The Timing (TB) (Zschiegner) A Raisin In The Sun (Turner Davis) Lonely Planet (TB) (Zschiegner) Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs (Zschiegner) Picasso At The Lapin Agile (Hodgin) The Who's Tommy (Hodgin) Damn Yankees (North)

1998: Only A Kingdom (Larsen) NS Festival: The Angels of Lemnos (Zschiegner) The Last Lists of My Mad Mother (Hodgin) Babes In Toyland (TB) (North) Yes, Virginia, There is A Santa Claus (Hodgin) The Complete Works of Wilm Shkspr (TB) (Westbrook) Inherit The Wind (Hodgin) Beast On The Moon (TB) (Zschiegner) The Pied Piper (Zschiegner) Having Our Say (Wicks) Fiddler On The Roof (North) Always...Patsy Cline (Swindley)

1999; NS Festival: Jenny (Zschiegner) The Shiniest Rock of All (Hodgin) The Sound of Music (Glenn) Uh-Oh, Here Comes Christmas (TB) (Zulia) School Tour: Androcles and the Lion Choices The Tempest (Hodgin) Jack and the Wonder Beans (Zschiegner) A Perfect Ganesh (TB) (DeMichele) The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Zschiegner) West Side Story (Hodgin) Blackbirds Of Broadway (Caffey)

2000: NS Festival: Gathering Stones (North) Two-Headed (Hodgin) The Coat (Zschiegner) Godspell (Zulia) Peter Pan (Zschiegner) School Tour: School House Rock Live, Jr. Romeo & Juliet (Abridged) O'Keeffe! (TB) (Hodgin) A Man For All Seasons (Hodgin) Nixon's Nixon (TB) (Hodgin) Pinocchio (Zschiegner) The Mystery Of Irma Vep (Zschiegner) The Music Man (Glenn) Once on This Island (Glenn)

2001: Honky Tonk Angels (Swindley) School Tour: The Velveteen Rabbit And Then They Came for Me At What Cost The Wizard of OZ (Hodgin) NS Festival: Tesla's Letters (Hodgin) How I Came To Buffalo Bill (DeMichele) War Story (Topol) Short Haired Grace (Dvorscak) Wit (TB) (Hodgin) Much Ado About Nothing (Zschiegner) Rapunzel (Zschiegner) The Pirates of Penzance (Stafford) I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (Hodgin)

2002: School Tours: 1000 Cranes (Zulia) Cyrano (Zachiegner) My Way (Stafford) Oliver! (Glenn) NS Festival: Looking Over The President's Shoulder (Still) Lila (Topol) The Czar of Nothingness (Hodgin) Mrs. Kemble's Tempest (Hodgin) Art (Hodgin) Death of a Salesman (Zschiegner) The Jungle Book (zschiegner) Annie Get Your Gun (Hodgin) Summer of '42 (Hodgin)

2003: School Tours: Jack and the Wonderbeans (Zschiegner) Most Valuable Player (Zschiegner) Keep On The Sunnyside (Rose) Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcost (Monroe) NS Festival: The Woman Who Amuses Herself (Zschiegner) Old Woman Flying (Topol) Medicine, Man (Hodgin) Looking Over The President's Shoulder (Still) Proof (Hodgin) Pocahontas (Hodgin) 42nd Street (Zschiegner) Smokey Joe's Café (Hodgin)

2004 Tours: Romeo and Juliet (Zschiegner) School House Rock Live! (Wilhelms) The Complete History of America (Roudebush) The Christmas Cup (Hodgin) The SantaLand Diaries (Hodgin) Norfolk Southern Festival of New Works: Seascapes (Costa) Living Roanoke (Hodgin) 22 Day Adagio (St. Peter) Searching for Eden: The Diaries of Adam and Eve (Hodgin) God's Man in Texas (Evans) Barry Manilow's Copacabana (Stafford) Starlight & Showbiz : The Best of MMT (Hodgin & Reybold)

2005 Tours: Gatherings in Graveyards (Wilhelms) The Velveteen Rabbit (Wilhelms) Stand By Your Man, The Tammy Wynette Story (Licata) Greetings (Hodgin & Wilhelms) Seussical, The Musical (Hodgin) Norfolk Southern Festival of New Works: The Lake (Hodgin) 1 Page Play Challenge (Egan & Evans) Mrs. Kemble's Tempest (Hodgin) Hamlet (Hodgin) Mahalia (Mitchell-Leon) A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (Hodgin) Grease (Monroe)

2006 Tours: Frankenstein (Wilhelms) Miss Nelson Is Missing (Wilhelms) Man of Constant Sorrow (Rose) A Wonderful Life (Roudebush) Norfolk Southern Festival of New Works: North Star (Bova) Elvis People (Egan) Great Expectations (Hodgin) Beauty and the Beast (Reybold) Always...Patsy Cline (Swindley)

Current Season

THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER

Nov. 28-Dec. 22, 2007

From the book by Barbara Robinson. A couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant is faced with the Herdman kids, the most inventive, awful kids in the history of the world. They haven’t heard the Christmas story, they don’t attend church regularly and nobody knows anything about their parents. Once they discover what the Christmas story is about, it’s mayhem and fun for all.

MISERY

Jan. 23-Feb. 10, 2008

Adapted by Simon Moore from the novel by Stephen King. Blizzard winds drive romance novelist Paul Sheldon off the road and into a snowbound hell, where his cries for help can only be heard by his Number One Fan – Annie Wilkes. Fear becomes the only Muse in a life-and-death game of chapter and verse, and Paul is forced to do whatever it takes to give Annie the Misery she craves.

THE FOREIGNER

Feb. 27-Mar. 16, 2008

By Larry Shue

You can’t believe everything you hear. Just ask Englishman Charlie Baker, an out-of-place guest at a remote fishing lodge in Georgia. When Charlie’s shyness keeps him tongue-tied, his fellow Brit tries to cover by telling the locals that Charlie can’t understand English. Which translates into a farcical free-for-all for secrets, gossip, and scandal, Southern-style.

THE STINKY CHEESEMAN AND OTHER FAIRLY STOOPID TALES

Apr. 1-6, 2008

By Kent Stevens; Adapted from the book by Jon Scieszka; Music by Gary Rue Take one Jack the Narrator and mix with two paranoid chickens. Fold in an ugly duckling, a giant, and a grade-A clever fox. Add a cup of frog slime, layer with a red hood, and sprinkle with magic beans. Top it off with cheese, bacon and olives and half-bake yourself one funky fairy tale soufflé!

TALES FROM THE ARABIAN NIGHTS

Apr. 16-27, 2008

By Michael Bigelow Dixon & Jan Cole A cruel Sultan, bewitched by a magic scimitar, is quickly slicing through his list of brides. But clever Princess Scheherazade has laid out a plan to save her pretty neck. She weaves a tapestry of enchanted tales, spinning them one by one - but never quite finishing them, leaving the Sultan begging for more each morning.

NORFOLK SOUTHERN FESTIVAL OF NEW WORKS

May 7-18, 2008

Fresh. New. Innovative. Inspiring. Creative. For 18 years, Mill Mountain Theatre has put these words on stage, thanks to the generous underwriting of the Norfolk Southern Foundation. Follow the stage directions and be the first to see produced new works.

INTO THE WOODS

June 4-29, 2008

Book by James Lapine; Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

In Sondheim’s spectacular Tony award-winning musical extravaganza, once-upon-a-time takes a wickedly clever turn into once-upon-what-if. A wish, a witch, and a curse send Cinderella, Rapunzel, their Princes and Little Red Riding Hood on an unexpected journey with Jack (of Beanstalk fame), a Baker and his wife, and a Giantess with an axe to grind.

IDOLS OF THE KING

July 23-Aug. 24, 2008

By Ronnie Claire Edwards & Allen Crowe

Spotlights dazzle off a thousand sequins. The hair. The pose. The microphone. And the Once and Future King has got us all shook up. The songs, the stories, the myth and the legend beam onto the stage in this tour de force concert celebrating Elvis and the sound that changed music forever.

Mission statement

The mission of Mill Mountain Theatre is to provide high-quality theater, as well as educational and outreach programs in the performing arts, to Southwest Virginia.