History





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On April 28, 1915, a new theatrical group
called The Footlights was born when Will Lewers, Mrs. Walter
F. Dillingham, Helen Alexander, Margaret Center and Gerrit
Wilder appeared in The Amazons by Pinero. The performance
took place at the Honolulu Opera House, where our main Post
Office on Merchant Street now stands. The legacy of those
theatre lovers has grown into the third-oldest, continuously
operating theatre in the entire United States. |
In 1934, The Footlights reorganized
and took on a new name: Honolulu Community Theatre. In the original
mission statement still honored today, the theatre committed itself
to community service through the art of theatre, involving the
people of Hawaii as audience members, stage crew and performers.
During World War II, Honolulu
Community Theatre productions entertained thousands of troops
at over 300 performances throughout the Pacific (a tradition we
continued with the Pacific tour of Ain't Misbehavin' during
the 1990 season). Then, in 1952, Honolulu Community Theatre took
up residence in the Fort Ruger Theatre, the Army Post's then movie
house. Major refurbishments to make that structure a fully modern
venue for stage productions included the addition of scene and
costume shops, installation of lighting and sound systems, handicapped-accessible
restrooms, a first-ever lobby for our patrons and an upstairs
addition for expanded office space, spotlights, and sound and
lighting boards.
Then, in 1990, came a new name
for an old friend and Honolulu Community Theatre became Diamond
Head Theatre. With a new energy and professionalism, Diamond Head
Theatre is committed to excellence and community involvement now
more than ever before.
Each season we offer six mainstage
theatrical productions, including five major musicals, on a scale
that rivals that of Broadway. We provide theatre workshops to
train residents of Hawaii in the theatrical arts. Acting, voice
and dance classes for children, teens, and adults are offered
throughout the year. The Diamond Head Theatre Shooting Stars,
a youth performing arts troupe, provides exposure and polish to
the rising young stars of tomorrow. Finally, more than 15,000
volunteer hours per season keep Diamond Head Theatre at the forefront
of local theatre and provide volunteers with experience in the
arts and job skills in the theatrical industry.
Diamond Head Theatre, the
Broadway of the Pacific, is proud of its 90-year history and enthusiastic
about its growth and future.