Ayden Community Theatre began as Ayden Theatre Workshop in 1978 with a small group of dedicated Ayden citizens who were interested in forming a regional theatrical group. Later that year, Doug Mitchell returned to teach drama at Ayden-Grifton High School and Ayden Theatre Workshop really took off, involving citizens from Ayden and Grifton as well as students from the high school. It enjoyed tremendous success well into the 1990's. In 2005 a revival of ATW began with the formation of a new Board of Directors. Soon, word spread and auditions were being held. In June of 2007, the board decided to change the name from Ayden Theatre Workshop to Ayden Community Theatre to better identify our purpose and mission to the community.
Our first foray was an outdoor Christmas event which included
Victorian vignettes and strolling carolers in downtown Ayden.
In April of 2006, we gave our first stage performance of "Love
Rides the Rails" (Moreland Cary). Since then we have performed "Murder in the Magnolias" (Tim Kelly), "Little Sisters of Mercy"
(Tom Rieser), "Passed Voices, Selected Monologues from Spoon
River Anthology" (Edgar Lee Masters), "Don't Drink the Water"
(Woody Allen), "The Pirates Rest" (Tom Rieser), "My Wish For
You" (Deloris Chandler), "Lend Me a Tenor" (Ken Ludwing) Jim Leonard, Jr's
"The Diviner' s",
Christmas Dreams (Ross Hermitee) Anybody for Murder (Brian Clemons & Dennis
Spooner),
The Odd Couple (Neil Simon) and Collecting Christmas (Tom Rieser and Mike
Britner).