History

Albuquerque Little Theatre was founded in 1930 by a group of civic-minded citizens led by Irene Fisher, a reporter and the society editor for the New Mexico Tribune.  The idea of a local Theatre group was born when Ms. Fisher attended a lecture by a professional actress named Kathryn Kennedy O’Connor, who moved  to New Mexico for health reasons in 1927.  Ms. Fisher led the campaign to raise an operating budget of $1,000 and Ms. O’Connor was hired as the Theatre’s Director. 

ALT spent its first six years at the KiMo Theatre in downtown Albuquerque.  In 1936, ALT moved into its present home located at 224 San Pasquale SW, just south of the historic Old Town section of Albuquerque.  The original building, designed by famed southwestern architect, John Gaw Meem, was the first structure in Albuquerque to be built by the Works Progress Administration as part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal.”

alt-older-exterior-mural

O’Connor retired as the Theatre’s director in 1961, and the board named Bernard Thomas to succeed her as ALT’s full-time director.  “Bernie” served from 1961 to 1980; he retired from ALT in 1980 after the 50th anniversary season.  He was replaced by his technical Director, Michael Myers, who served as producing director until 1986 when Sandy Brady replaced him; Carol Fleming was then named General Manager in 1988.  She stayed with ALT until 1996.  In March 1997, Larry D. Parker was appointed Executive Director of Albuquerque Little Theatre, and he continued to produce quality theatre through the 2005-06 Season.

In 2006, The Executive Director position was eliminated and divided into two separate management areas; Artistic Director (Peter Kierst) and Managing Director (Erin Moots).  Peter and Erin launched the 2006-07 Season with excitement and a commitment to keep ALT alive and well.  2007 also saw the talents of Theresa Reid at the helm.

In 2008, the theatre had an opportunity to bring extensive Broadway and community theatre experience to the ALT stage when Henry Avery was hired as Executive Director; shortly after that appointment he was also named Artistic Director.  Avery’s five decades of experience and commitment to live theatre have resulted in a new energy that infuses every aspect of ALT.

Our fascinating history also includes a number of celebrities.  One of America’s most beloved TV personalities got her start at ALT, performing in our very first show in 1930.  Vivian Vance went on to win the very first Best Supporting Actress Emmy Award ever given, for her role as Ethel Mertz on “I Love Lucy”.  That coveted award is now proudly displayed in our lobby, a cherished gift to Albuquerque Little Theatre from Vance’s family after her passing.  Many other celebrities have performed on our stage over the years, including Don Knotts, Bill Daily, Ann B. Davis, Nancy Kulp, and Maureen O’Sullivan just to name a few. 

Vivian Vance

Vivian Vance (July 26, 1909 – August 17, 1979)

ALT continues the tradition of true community theatre by providing the residents of the greater Albuquerque area with great entertainment and the opportunity to become involved in the production of live theatre.  A tax- exempt, 501c(3) organization, ALT involves more than 500 volunteers in activities ranging from box office, backstage, on stage, front of house, to Board and standing committee membership.

We have gone through all our records to create a list of every production we have presented since our opening season (1930-31).  Have we ever done your favorite(s)?

1930-1931

This Thing Called Love

The Cradle Song

Rain

1931-1932

Broadway

See Naples and Die

Ten Nights in a Bar Room

Within the Law

Redemption

The Trial of Mary Dugen

1932-1933

Street Scene

In the Zone

Los Hermanos Penitentes

Pantaloon

The Road to Rome

Of Thee I Sing

1933-1934

The Marquise

Criminal Code

The Pursuit of Happiness

School for Husbands

1934-1935

The Ocean of Life, Or Every Inch A Sailor

The First Mrs. Fraser

Invitation to a Murder

Strictly Dishonorable

Page Miss Glory

1935-1936

Post Road

The Enchantress

Journey’s End

The Milky Way

One Viennese Night

1936-1937

Russet Mantle

S.S. Glencairn

The Night of January 15th

Boy Meets Girl

Three Cornered Moon

The Drunkard

1937-1938

Idiot’s Delight

The Old Maid

Libel

Ladies Meet

Juno and the Paycock

1938-1939

Brother Rat

St. Joan

Heirloom

Outward Bound

First Lady

1939-1940

Accent on Youth

Night Must Fall

You Can’t Take It With You

Susan and God

The Little Foxes

1940-1941

Arms and the Man

The Case of the Frightened Lady

The Women

Spring Meeting

Anna Christie

1941-1942

George Washington Slept Here

Knickerbocker Holiday

The Cross Eyed Bear

The Man Who Came to Dinner

I Killed the Count

The Barretts of Wimpole Street

“Summer Season”

Arsenic and Old Lace

My Sister Eileen

1942-1943

Old Acquaintance

On Borrowed Time

Heart of the City

Tovarich

The Eve of St. Mark

1943-1944

Madame Sherry

The Poisoned Falcon

Lady in the Dark

Junior Miss

Prince and the Pauper

1944-1945

Dark Eyes

Rio Rita

Uncle Henry

Over 21

Berkeley Square

A Bell for Adano

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp

1945-1946

Blithe Spirit

Snafu

Road to Rome

Guest In the House

1946-1947

Joan of Lorraine

Dear Ruth

State of the Union

Dark Victory

Spring Vacation

The Twelve Dancing Princesses

1947-1948

Years Ago

And Then There Were None

The Glass Menagerie

Voice of the Turtle

Room Service

1948-1949

John Loves Mary

Springtime for Mary

Pygmalion

The Winslow Boy

For Love or Money

The Late Christopher Bean

1949-1950

Strange Bedfellows

Kind Lady

Starfish

Accent on Youth

The Heiress

Born Yesterday

The Magic Flute

1950-1951

Happy Birthday

The Marquise

The Man

Light Up the Sky

Ladies of the Jury

The Square Needle

1951-1952

Darkness at Noon

Kiss and Tell

Gramersey Ghost

Present Laughter

Anne of a Thousand Days

As Husbands Go

1952-1953

Affairs Of State

The Firebrand

Bell, Book & Candle

Mister Roberts

Don Juan In Hell

1953-1954

Life With Mother

A Streetcar Named Desire

Gigi

Point Of No Return

Late Love

Gently Does It

1954-1955

Ah Wilderness

Blithe Spirit

Sabrina Fair

Time Out For Ginger

Dream Girl

King of Hearts

1955-1956

Oh Men, Oh Women

Our Town

Dial M for Murder

The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker

The Seven Year Itch

The Solid Gold Cadillac

1956-1957

White Sheep Of The Family

Anastasia

Bus Stop

Teahouse of the August Moon

The Great Sebastians

Witness for the Prosecution

“Summer Season”

Wedding Breakfast

Janus

The Fourposter

Papa Is All

1957-1958

The Reluctant Debutante

The Rainmaker

All For Mary

Inherit The Wind

Happiest Millionaire

The Matchmaker

1958-1959

Three Men And A Horse

No Time For Sergeants

The Cradle Song

The Late George Appley

Who Was That Lady I Saw You With?

Visit To A Small Planet

1959-1960

Howie

The Magnificent Yankee

The Gazebo

Duley

Make A Million

Nude With Violin

1960-1961

Golden Fleecing

The Dark At The Top Of The Stairs

Mrs. Gibbons Boys

The Marriage Go Round

Look Homeward Angel

The Pleasure of His Company

1961-1962

The Curious Savage

The Andersonville Trial

Roman Candle

Under The Yum Yum Tree

Speaking of Murder

Send Me No Flowers

1962-1963

Invitation to a March

Monique

Everybody Loves Opal

The Tender Trap

Rashoman

Sunday in New York

1963-1964

The Fantastiks

Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole

Papa Is All

Cassandra Singing

His and Hers

The Tunnel of Love

Dark of the Moon

1964-1965

Take Her She’s Mine

Come Blow Your Horn

Night Must Fall

Janus

The Mouse That Roared

Teahouse of the August Moon

1965-1966

Love and Kisses

Mary, Mary

A Majority of One

Kiss Me Kate

It’s Been Wonderful

Never Too Late

1966-1967

Absence of A Cello

Any Wednesday

A Thousand Clowns

Dear Me, The Sky is Falling

Everybody’s Girl

On A Clear Day You Can See Forever

1967-1968

Generation

Barefoot in the Park

Catch Me If You Can

Philadelphia Here I Come

Marriage Go Round

South Pacific

1968-1969

Scandal Point

See How They Run

The Impossible Years

Early To Bed

The Odd Couple

Under The Yum Yum Tree

1969-1970

Love is the Time of Day

You Can’t Take It With You

Love in E-Flat

Come Back Little Sheba

The Star Spangled Girl

The Girl in the Freudian Slip

1970-1971

Picnic

You Know I Can’t hear You When The Water’s Running

Harvey

Ninety Day Mistress

The Glass Menagerie

The Big Killing

1971-1972

Cactus Flower

Plaza Suite

The Best Man

Boeing, Boeing

Once More With Feeling

Critic’s Choice

1972-1973

There’s A Girl In My Soup

The Silver Whistle

Forty Carats

Dangerous Corner

My Daughter, Your Son

Kind Lady

1973-1974

Butterflies Are Free

Send Me No Flowers

Wait Until Dark

Daddy, Dear Daddy

Relatively Speaking

Best of Friends

1974-1975

Paris Is Out

Sailor Beware

Sunday in New York

Dr. Cook’s Garden

Luv

Ginger In The Morning

1975-1976

Prisoner of Second Avenue

Here Lies Jeremy Troy

Spofford

How The Other Half Loves

The Gazebo

La Grande De Coca Cola

1976-1977

Busy Body

6 Rms Riv Vu

Teahouse of the August Moon

Rattle of a Simple Man

A Gentleman and a Scoundrel

The Man

1977-1978

Vanities

Twigs

Sleuth

Harvey

The Owl and the Pussycat

A Good Look at Bomey Kern

1978-1979

Generation

Two For The Seesaw

A Majority of One

Lovers Leap

Sunny Morning

Spinoff

1979-1980

Same Time, Next Year

A Touch of Elvis

Come Blow Your Horn

The Curious Savage

Voice of the Turtle

On Borrowed Time

1980-1981

Deathtrap

Filumena

A Christmas Carol

See How They Run

Roman Conquests

A View From the Bridge

Tribute

1981-1982

First Monday in October

The Importance of Being Earnest

The Fourposter

The Red Shoes

The Hostage

To Kill A Mockingbird

The Little Foxes

I Ought to Be In Pictures

Just Kidding??

1982-1983

“Regular Season”

Special Occasions

Murder Among Friends

Absurd Person Singular

Mister Roberts

A Shot in the Dark

“Renaissance & Children’s Seasons”

The Time of Your Life

A Christmas Carol

A Doll’s House

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown

1983-1984

“Summer Children’s Season”

Sleeping Beauty

The Wizard of Oz

“Regular Season”

Bell, Book and Candle

The Crucifer of Blood

Visit To A Small Planet

Arsenic and Old Lace

Crimes of the Heart

“Renaissance & Children’s Seasons”

The Would Be Santa

Spoken Dreams Before Midnight

1984-1985

Black Comedy

Mass Appeal

An American Christmas Carol

Footlight Frenzy

The Philadelphia Story

Finishing Touches

1985-1986

Shelly Berman Off Broadway

Frankenstein

Peter Pan

Foxfire

A Gentleman and a Scoundrel

Lovers and Other Strangers

1986-1987

Agnes of God

The Foreigner

The Christmas Kid

Baby

The Hasty Heart

Wait Until Dark

The Odd Couple (Female Version)

“Summer Season”

The Little Prince

What I Did Last Summer

1987-1988

Light Up the Sky

Corpse

Rapunzel

Pack of Lies

Niteclub Confidential

Educating Rita

Groucho, A Life in Review

“Summer Season”

Barefoot in the Park

1988-1989

The Matchmaker

Stepping Out

Alone Together

Play it Again, Sam

Anatomy of a Murder

The Seven Year Itch

1989-1990

Fallen Angels

The 1940′s Radio House

Picnic

Album

The Goodbye People

Noises Off

1990-1991

Amadeus

I’m Not Rappaport

She Loves Me

Charley’s Aunt

The Boys Next Door

The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940

1991-1992

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Cabaret

A Christmas Carol

Isn’t It Romantic

Deathtrap

Harvey

1992-1993

On Golden Pond

Arsenic and Old Lace

Annie

Children of a Lesser God

The Importance of Being Earnest

Rumors

1993-1994

Harold and Maude

Gypsy!

Beauty and the Beast

Inherit the Wind

I Hate Hamlet

Father of the Bride

1994-1995

A Chorus Line

Dracula

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

You Can’t Take It With You

Steel Magnolias

Lend Me A Tenor

1995-1996

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

The Hound of the Baskervilles

It’s A Wonderful Life

I Do! I Do!

Lost In Yonkers

The Nerd

1996-1997

The Cemetery Club

Sleuth

The Secret Garden

The Comedy of Errors

A Few Good Men

The Good Doctor

1997-1998

The Solid Gold Cadillac

Deadly Nightcap

Wind in the Willows

Prelude to a Kiss

To Kill A Mockingbird

The Sunshine Boys

1998-1999

Tony ‘n Tina’s Wedding

My Three Angels

Don’t Drink the Water

The Mousetrap

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Little Shop of Horrors

Of Mice and Men

Moon Over Buffalo

1999-2000

Tony ‘n Tina’s Wedding

No Sex, Please, We’re British

Animal Crackers

Night Must Fall

Inspecting Carol

Beehive – The ’60s Musical

The Diary of Anne Frank

A Flea In Her Ear

2000-2001

Sheila’s Class Reunion

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A Grand Night For Singing

Camping With Henry and Tom

I Remember Mama

A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline

The Glass Menagerie

Brighton Beach Memoirs

2001-2002

The Miser

100 Years of Broadway- 66 Years Off Central

Angel Street

Babes In Toyland

Picasso at the Lapin Agile

The Miracle Worker

The Foreigner

2002-2003

Amadeus

Grace and Glorie

A Christmas Story

I Do! I Do!

The Crucible

Blithe Spirit

2003-2004

Vaudeville Memories

Noises Off

Driving Miss Daisy

UH-OH, Here Comes Christmas

Our Town

Over the River and Through the Woods

Das Barbecü

2004-2005

Buddy- The Buddy Holly Story

MY WAY- A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra

The Passion of Dracula

A Child’s Christmas in Wales

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Dearly Departed

The Odd Couple (Male)

2005-2006

Man of La Mancha

A Christmas Carol

Rumors

On Golden Pond

Ozma of Oz

Smoke on the Mountain“Family Series”

Free to Be You and Me

Rave On

Stuart Little

2006-2007

Harvey

A Christmas Story

Steel Magnolia

Inherit The Wind

Guys and Dolls

“Family Series”

Disney’s 101 Dalmatians

The Hobbit

Junnie B Jones and a Little Monkey Business

2007-2008

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)

Cyrano de Bergerac

It’s a Wonderful Life

Living Out

Aida

“Family Series”

High School Musical

Bunnicula

Afternoon of The Elves

2008-2009

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Miracle on 34th Street

What the Butler Saw

Bus Stop

The Full Monty

“Family Series”

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The BFG

Pinkalicious

2009-2010

High School Musical 2

Shakespeare in Hollywood

White Christmas

Dial ‘M’ for Murder

Plaza Suite

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

“Family Series”

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf

2010-2011

Chicago

White Christmas

Sherlock Holmes:The Final Adventure

Steel Magnolias

Hairspray

“Family Series”

Fame

Captain Louie, Jr.

Charlotte’s Web

2011-2012

Cabaret

A Christmas Story

Witness for the PRosecution

Xanadu

Singin’ in the Rain

“Family Series”

The Wizard of Oz

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Anne of Green Gables

2012-2013

Spring Awakening

9 to 5

It’s A Wonderful Life

La Cage Aux Folles

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

The Producers

“Family Series”

The Hobbit

Little Women

2013-2014

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare

(abridged)

Young Frankenstein

Miracle on 34th Street

The Mousetrap

Cats

To Kill A Mockingbird

Les Miserables

2014-2015

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Grease

White Christmas

Anatomy of a Murder

The King and I

Noises Off

Monty Python’s Spamalot

2015-2016

Arsenic & Old Lace

Legally Blonde: The Musical

A Christmas Carol

Dracula

West Side Story

The Diary of Anne Frank

Hairspray

2016-2017

Auntie Mame

Little Shop of Horrors

A Christmas Story

Agatha Christies’ And Then There Were None

South Pacific

The Miracle Worker

Mary Poppins

2017-2018

Driving Miss Daisy

The Addams Family, A New Musical

Annie

Wait Until Dark

Sister Act

Steel Magnolias

The Full Monty

2018-2019

Pride and Prejudice

Footloose

It’s A Wonderful Life

Dial “M” For Murder

Shrek, The Musical

Rumors

Singin’ In The Rain

2019-2020 (90th Season)

Amadeus

Mamma Mia!

Miracle On 34th Street

Murder On The Orient Express

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

The Odd Couple

The Music Man

2020-2021 (Virtual Season)

The Gariety Family Music Hall

Vanities

Songs for a New World

The Gin Game

A Killer Party

2021-2022 

Barrymore (Summer Series)

The Belle of Amherst (Summer Series)

Barefoot in the Park (Summer Seried)

Father of the Bride

The Odd Couple

A Christmas Carol

A Murder is Announced

Grease

2022-2023 

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abrig’d)

Deathtrap

A Tuna Christmas

Vanities

Nunsense

The Wizard of Oz

2023-2024 

The Play That Goes Wrong

Camelot

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

The 39 Steps

Head Over Heels