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Organizational History

Our Dramatic Story.

Zachary Scott Theatre Center goes back to 1933 when we were originally incorporated as the Austin Civic Theatre. That incorporation made us Central Texas' oldest resident theater. Almost 40 years later, we built an 8,000-square-foot theater facility with a 200-seat thrust stage and changed our name from the Austin Civic Theatre to the Zachary Scott Theatre Center in honor of Zachary Scott. Zachary Scott was an Austin-reared actor who enjoyed a successful Hollywood film career.

In 1988, Alice Wilson, an award-winning playwright and director, became our Producing Artistic Director. Two years later, we opened our second theater--a 12,000-square-foot facility composed of a 130-seat arena stage, an expansive costume shop, a classroom and rehearsal studio, a suite of administrative offices and an expanded box office.

The theater's growing professional reputation was enlarged even more when Dave Steakley became a part of ZACH in 1991. A year later, the theater entered into its first Actors' Equity Association Small Professional Theater agreement.

In 1993, ZACH became one of only 42 arts organizations in the entire United States that are selected for participation in the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Advancement Program.

Today Zachary Scott Theatre Center is Austin's Premiere Professional Theatre producing year around.

More About Who We Are and Where We've Been.

ZACH frequently produces plays and musicals that are not found in the standard Texas repertory. We look for works that take us from the external to the ground of human experience, illuminate our culture, and have the potential to leave you feeling invigorated, enriched, and wiser.

We gravitate toward producing classics within a new, contemporary context. We seek theatrical forms that change the relationship of the actor to the audience. We look for plays that open new windows on the fundamental concerns of our lives. Above all, we seek to entertain, delight, enthrall, and involve you as an audience.

Zachary Scott Theatre Center began in 1933 when we were originally incorporated as the Austin Civic Theatre. That incorporation made us Central Texas' oldest resident theater.

Almost 40 years later, in 1972, members of the Austin community joined with Texas' Kleberg family in a capital fund-raising drive, which resulted in the construction of an 8,000-square-foot theater facility with a 200-seat thrust stage. It was then that we also changed our name from the Austin Civic Theatre to Zachary Scott Theatre Center in honor of Zachary Scott, an Austin-reared actor who enjoyed a successful Hollywood film career. You might remember him as Joan Crawford's love interest in the 1945 Academy Award-winning movie Mildred Pierce. In his memory, Mr. Scott's family provided the final funding necessary to build the 200-seat Kleberg Stage theatre.

In 1988, Alice Wilson, an award-winning playwright and director, became ZACH's Producing Artistic Director. It was Ms. Wilson who initiated the transition from community theater to professional theater. Two years later, ZACH opened its second theater -- a 12,000-square-foot facility composed of a 130-seat arena stage, an expansive costume shop, a class room and rehearsal studio, and a suite of administrative offices including an expanded box office.

In 1991, Wilson was joined by ZACH's Managing Director, Dave Steakley. Their expert leadership has produced one of Texas most critically acclaimed, financially successful and highly attended organizations. ZACH produces 8-10 Mainstage productions a season on three stages; offers the city's most successful Performing Arts School; performs to over 36,000 Central Texas children with Project InterAct, and introduces more than 3,000 middle and high school age young adults to theatre each season with Project Discovery. ZACH productions have won numerous awards, regional and national acclaim. ZACH employs over 300 actors, designers and artisans annually.

In 1993, ZACH set new attendance and box office records with productions of Shear Madness, the longest-running play in Austin's history, and Beehive, which was selected "Best Musical" by the B. Iden Payne Awards and the Critics' Table Awards. ZACH also became one of only 42 arts organizations in the entire United States that are selected for participation in the prestigious National Endowment for the Arts Advancement Program.

A year later, in 1994, we renamed the new, Arena Stage in memory of ZACH's Board President, John R. Whisenhunt. At the same time, we also kicked off the John R. Whisenhunt Memorial Fund capital campaign to renovate ZACH's Kleberg Theatre. As funding for this project nears completion, renovation is planned for the near future.

The end of ZACH's 1996-97 season saw the departure of ZACH's Artistic Director, Alice Wilson, after 17 years of dedicated service. Ms. Wilson left to become the Executive Director of Austin's Breast Cancer Resource Center.

Dave Steakley was appointed ZACH's new Producing Artistic Director in 1997. Under his leadership ZACH has grown from a budget of $700,000 to $2.6 million, and from 25,000 audience members to over 150,000 annually. Since his directorial debut at ZACH with Beehive in 1992, Mr. Steakley has been an artistic leader and innovator in Austin, creating Mainstage opportunities for Africa-American artists unparalleled in Central Texas.

In 2006, under the leadership of Ann Ciccolella who served as Managing Director from 2000 to 2007, the Austin voters passed a 10 million dollar bond initiative which will help fund a new state of the art 500 seat theatre and Creativity Center at ZACH. The bond is a 1:1 matching grant and ZACH is currently in a Capital Campaign to raise that match.

In 2007, Elisbeth Challener joined ZACH Theatre as Managing Director. As executive director of Montalvo Center for the Arts, Challener helped transform a California estate into a major concert producer and artists residency program with international stature. Ms. Challener serves as ZACH Theatre’s Chief Operating Officer, leading the development of a new 500-seat theatre, and oversees production, education, fundraising, marketing and financial management.

ZACH is a member of TCG and operates under a Small Professional Theatre Contract with Actors Equity Association the union of actors and stage manager in the United States.

Production History 1990 to the Present