Showtimers Community Theater

Showtimers was formed in the summer of 1950, by a group of people who wanted to present a summer season of amateur productions. The originators of the group were Leroy MacFarland, Betty Garretson, Cindy Dunn, Sam Good, Bill Segall and Faith Segall. A meeting was held, to which Roanoke Valley people interested in theatre were invited. The records are lost, but 30 to 50 people attended the first meeting. As plans progressed, the name was chosen, it was decided to present a season of six plays in the summer of 1951 and that everyone who wanted to be a part of the group would contribute $10.

With a great deal of work done during the next months, the premiere performance of Showtimers was on July 5, 1951, with a production of Arsenic and Old Lace. The early seasons consisted of six plays performed within six weeks. The first seasons were presented at the Lab Theatre, on the campus of Roanoke College. Showtimers was tremendously grateful to Roanoke College for their support of this new venture and the use of their facilities.
In 1961, Showtimers purchased their own building, the former Oak Grove Church of the Brethren, on what is now McVitty Road, S.W., in Roanoke City. The historic church was first constructed in 1908, from what we have learned. With little money, the group spent several years remodeling the church into a theatre. Eventually, it was used for rehearsals, with performances presented at the Lab Theatre.
The first musical presented by Showtimers was in 1963, when The Boyfriend was produced. A musical spoof, this show was revived in 1990, for Showtimers' Gala 40th Anniversary season.

The first time Showtimers had a fund drive was in 1971, when they had to complete their work on making the building on McVitty Road their full-time home, the Lab Theatre no longer being available. Remodeling was completed, and Spofford became the first show presented in the new theatre, that same year

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