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.”
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 (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