The Northside playhouses where actors perform Broadway favorites like “Hairspray” and “Brighton Beach Memoirs” are just one way the communities come together for the arts. It could be for a date night or to see a play you’ve come to know and love presented in a different way. For a unique dramatic experience, seek out these community theaters in the outskirts of Atlanta.
A version of this story originally appeared in the July 2015 issue of Living Northside magazine.
Center Stage North, Marietta
The Northside's upcoming theater season has a range of shows from musicals to on-the-edge dramas, as well as familiar classics and productions for children. The company has been around since 1974. All Center Stage North performances are held at The Art Place-Mountain View in East Cobb. The theater group's season runs from January through December.
3330 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta. 770-509-2700. www.centerstagenorth.org
Stage Door Players, Dunwoody
Think, "Godspell, "The Odd Couple" or "Dancing at Lughnasa," and you get a sense of the range of productions by Stage Door Players. The Dunwoody theater group presents six major productions annually, as well as a cabaret series and children's productions on Saturdays by Stage Door Jr. Dunwoody Women's Club founded the Stage Door Players as a community theater group in 1974. They performed at different locations until 1988, when they moved into the North DeKalb Cultural Center. Audience members are only 15 feet away from the stage in the 125-seat space.
5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. 770-396-1726. stagedoorplayers.net
Georgia Ensemble Theatre, Roswell
Georgia Ensemble Theatre, located in the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, is North Fulton's only professional theater company. Founded in 1992, it has nearly a dozen full-time staff and produces five subscription shows and four productions for young audiences annually. In spring 2016, the group will present "Yesterday and Today," an interactive Beatles experience conceived and performed by musician/entertainer Billy McGuigan and his brothers.
950 Forrest St., Roswell. 770-641-1260. www.get.org
Act3 Productions, Sandy Springs
Act3 Productions in Sandy Springs was born from the artistic passion of a handful of creative people who want to bring performing arts to their neighbors. Founded by five women in 2010, Act3 occupies a small space at the back of Sandy Springs Plaza (behind Trader Joe's building) where the group presents five annual main stage season productions, and three "second-stage" productions, both in the 100-seat theater.
6285-R Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. 770-241-1905. act3productions.org
Act1 Theater, Alpharetta
Act1 theater opened more than 20 years ago at Alpharetta Presbyterian Church and has staged "The Sound of Music," "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," "The Importance of Being Earnest" and many other big productions. In addition to their public performances, the group does skits and tableaus for worship services, and provides actors for the annual live nativity scene. Act1's season runs from January through December. Twelve performances of the summer production of "Once Upon a Mattress" conclude on Aug. 9.
180 Academy St., Alpharetta. 770-663-8989. act1theater.com
Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, Dunwoody
Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta in Dunwoody features several productions every year in the Morris and Rae Frank Theater. Shows are a mix of the MJCCA's own plays and outside productions by local theater groups and acclaimed high school programs, such as "Artfully Yours," by The Weber School. The community center is also home to Jerry's Habima Theatre, a professional company that features actors with special needs. Produced and directed by professionals, Habima presents 60-minute adaptations several times each year. It's the only theater group in the state that involves actors with special needs. Main stage performances at the Morris and Rae Frank Theatre run September through May.
5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody. 678-812-4000. atlantajcc.org
A version of this story originally appeared in the July 2015 issue of Living Intown magazine.
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