Tom Thayer, Managing Director, has been with the Roxy Regional Theatre since it's inception in 1983, in this position. Training includes: Austin Peay State University, Lambuth College, and he is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, NYC. While living in New York he worked as a public relations liason for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, created and taught dance programs at the Dwight School and created and taught young dramatics for the Rhodes School. He is the founder of the Clarksville Theatre Guild as well as the Roxy Regional Theatre. He has performed off-broadway as well as throughout the South. He currently serves as a guest instructor at Austin Peay State University and directs as well as instructs the musical theatre series.

John McDonald, Artistic Director, has also been with the Roxy Regional Theatre since 1983. Training include University of Memphis as well as a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, under a full scholarship from ABC Broadcasting. He has taught for the American Academy, The Rhodes School, The Dwight School and the Hewitt School. Performance credits include: Broadway, The Long Wharf Theatre, New York Shakespeare Festival, The WPA Theatre and many more. As a playwright: Till We Meet Again, The Noble Heart, The Dunbar Cave Dance of 1938, Mr. Dorian Grey Sir and many more. He has received the Ingram Acting Fellowship as well as Outstanding Playwright Award.

Together, in 1983, they opened the Roxy Regional Theatre producing over 200 productions in their 18 year history. They also created the Roxy's Professional Company, which, through selected productions in school curriculum, has reached thousands of school aged children. In the summer, they both serve as directors of the Summer Drama Camp, which is sponsored in conjunction with the Clarksville-Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Dept. They were recently awarded the Ovation Award from the Austin Peay State University Center of Creative Arts.

OUR HISTORY

Since the early 1900's the corner of Franklin and First has been the anchor for Clarksville's entertainment community. The Lillian, built in 1912, was the first theatre on this corner. Following a fire in 1913, the Lillian was rebuilt and saw thousands of patrons enjoying first run movies.

Upon entering the white and green enamel brick Italianate facade, patrons enjoyed a lobby sparkling with glass plate mirrors and 300 electric lights. The auditorium was furnished with 650 opera chairs, handpainted murals and a projection screen of rough Russian linen impregnated with gold, bronze and mercury amalgam. Following a fire in 1945, and with the advent of Fort Campbell, the Lillian was completely rebuilt and at last became The Roxy. A sleek exterior featuring a new lighting called neon beaconed movie goers from miles around. Opening in 1947, The Roxy entertained Clarksvillians with first run movies until 1980.

The Roxy sat vacant for three years until Tom Thayer and John McDonald came on the scene. Thayer a native of Clarksville and McDonald, a native of Memphis, had been searching for a building to house a dinner-theatre; Roxy filled the bill. Opening on Nov. 3, 1983, The Roxy Regional Theatre was reborn into a live theatre and quickly became "...the cornerstone of downtown re-developement..."

For the first two years, patrons could enjoy a meal and first rate entertainment such as Mack and Mabel, Once in a Lifetime, Sugar, George M!, Toys in the Attic and numerous others. Due to large financial overhead and under capitalization, the theatre was restructured into a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, with a volunteer board of directors who not only own the building but oversee activities.

Productions in those first years as a non-profit organization included the award winning Follies, The Glass Menagerie and a Junior Company production of The Boyfriend, all winners of the First Night Award for Outstanding Productions. Original works such as The Noble Heart, a musical about Tennessee hero Sam Davis as well as regional premieres of Candide, Assassins, Starmites and The Secret Garden were also seen.

In 1995 a massive $80,000 renovation took place. A restructuring of the lobby, and auditorium brings the theatre to it's current state. 1995 also brought the formation of the Roxy Professional Company. In order to supply the great demand for Shakespeare, Greek classics, school curriculum and holiday shows and to enlarge it's outreach services to the community, a professional company was created to augment the community productions. The community season includes summer fare while the professional season is dedicated to bringing classics to the stage. Productions have included the American premiere of A Tale of Two Cities, the Steinbeck classics Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath, Long Days Journey Into Night, Antigone while community highlights have included the regional premieres of Triumph of Love, Side Show, The Rocky Horror Show, The Who's Tommy, Chess as well as such blockbusters as Grease, Smoke on the Mountain, Carousel and Damn Yankees.

Over 250 mainstage productions since 1983 ~
Over 10,000 students attend yearly ~
Over 18,000 regular patrons annually ~
Over 12 local artists exhibit annually ~
Numerous national and regional commercials ~
The Roxy Regional Theatre continues to
"...blaze new trails....."