The Thelma Moore Community Playhouse

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The Chamber Players Community Theatre

Our Mission

Our mission as the Chamber Players is two-fold.

First, to provide opportunity for local citizens to discover and develop their own talent within the theatre arts curriculum. Secondly, to provide our underserved, rural community with a quality cultural arts experience utilizing the talent of local individuals from all walks of life.

Our Beginning

In February of 1991, a public meeting was held to discover any interest in community theatre, and if so, discuss the possibility of staging a production. As a result, three performances of “The Curious Savage” were held in July 1991.  This event was made possible by the financial support of many individuals and various local businesses, the Methodist Church of Garnett for providing a location, the dedication of a director and 11 actors, and many volunteers who helped make three nights of dinner theatre a 300 ticket sell-out.

With the success of “Savage” and the overwhelming appreciation of an outstanding community audience behind us, we produced “Arsenic and Old Lace” as a dinner theatre production for three nights in August of 1992. With the momentum of two successful productions pushing us onward, plans were made for a third production for summer 1993. However, for various reasons, it was not meant to be. Nor would we see a production completed in 1994.

At this point in time it became apparent that to keep our community theatre group from becoming a “has-been”, serious and sincere measures would need to be taken. In October 1994, those with the greatest enthusiasm, dependability, and leadership took the necessary steps to add a third dinner theatre production to the Chamber Players resume. And with the aid of a Kansas Arts Commission grant, the Chamber Players produced “A Bad Year for Tomatoes” in February 1995. “Tomatoes” was literally a child of perseverance and determination, and as it turned out, a resurrection of our fledgling theatre troupe. Seven months later we produced our fourth show, two productions in one calendar year!

Over the years we have bounced around from one venue to another, seven different “borrowed” locations none of which were ideal, but we made the best of them. In 2003, we began a “Building Fund” with the dream of one day owning our own home. The fund began with a generous donation of $5,000 from Garnett resident Thelma Moore. Others donated to the fund, and as it grew we looked at several options, none that seemed right. Then, in the summer of 2007, the Chamber Players were approached by the United Presbyterian Church, and asked if we would be interested in being stewards of their historic building. At last a facility that seemed right, a building that was a good fit for what we were needing. We accepted their offer, and in November 2007, we purchased the church building and began the process of converting it into a theatre.

We are proud to share with our community the place we call home:

The Thelma Moore Community Playhouse

Thelma Moore with Gary Stapp

at The Thelma Moore Community Playhouse

grand opening production, March 2008

Thelma passed away on June 6, 2009 at the

age of 104 years and 4 months.

A very gracious lady. She will be missed.