History and archive
The show has gone on since 1937
From clubhouse rehearsals in Augusta to the historic stage of Hallowell City Hall, this is the story of Maine's oldest continuously operating community theater, and of the volunteers who kept it going.
A timeline
1937
The Augusta Players take the stage
A group of Capital Area theater lovers founds the Augusta Players, the company that would one day become Gaslight Theater.
1946
The Kerosene Circuit
A summer touring troupe spins off to bring plays to towns across central Maine.
1950s
Clubhouses and rising talent
The Players rehearse and build sets in clubhouses around Augusta and Hallowell. Members include performers who went on to Broadway and to professional summer stock.
1964
A decade at the Capitol Theater
From 1964 to 1974 the company performs at the Capitol Theater in Augusta.
1976
Fire at the Capitol
Arsonists set a fire that badly damages the 111 year old Capitol Theater. The building is later torn down.
1979
A new home, a new name
The Augusta Players move permanently into Hallowell City Hall and begin producing as Gaslight Theater.
1980s
Growing to four shows
The season grows from three productions to four, a schedule Gaslight still keeps today.
Firsts
Premieres on our stage
Gaslight gives Maine premieres of Lips Together, Teeth Apart by Terrence McNally and A Cheever Evening by A. R. Gurney, and the first Maine community theater production of Almost, Maine by Maine native John Cariani.
Today
Still all volunteer
Four shows a year, a spring one act evening, and a stage that has welcomed generations of Capital Area actors, builders, and audiences.
Photo galleries
Browse by decade
Mostly dress rehearsals, plus set building, painting, and candid moments with cast and crew.
1930s & '40s
1950s
1960s & '70s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
Every production in the archive
Search by title or playwright. Each one links to its own page with whatever the archive holds: cast, crew, and photos.
No productions match that search yet.
Have an old program or photo in a drawer?
Help us fill gaps in the archive. Send a scan or a phone picture and tell us what you remember.