Written by JEFFREY WARD

From the outside, the home of Newnan Theatre Company (NTC) looks much the same as the original purpose for the structure: a brick-and-beam vintage railroad warehouse. It might be the last place one would expect to find a theater. 

But step inside the magnificent lobby of this ordinary building, and the unsuspecting visitor is immediately ushered into the magical world of live theater. Welcome to the Newnan Theatre Company, Coweta’s home for theater for the past 45 years.

Proceeding from the sumptuously decorated two-story lobby, a tour through a bewildering labyrinth of specialty rooms reveals how complicated and involved the business end of putting on even the simplest production can be. Our behind-the-scenes tour guide is Mary Caroline Moore, managing director of Newnan Theatre Company. With NTC since 2015, she was trained and educated in the performing arts as a musician, piano teacher and owner of a ballet studio.

Accompanying her is Karen Youger, who serves as vice chairman of the NTC Board of Directors and also acts in the Company’s productions.

Moore’s and Youger’s combined love for and devotion to the craft of live theater is almost palpable. Moore puts it into words: “Newnan Theatre Company is more than a theater. It’s a place where individuals are invited to learn, grow and inspire. Patrons are exposed to works of art, some old and some new, while performers and volunteers are encouraged to expand upon their many talents.”

After renting the current facility for many years, Newnan Theatre Company purchased it three years ago. Because NTC enjoys nonprofit 501(C)(3) status, benefactors have donated and installed upgraded lighting, sound systems and other essential improvements.

The entire operation runs on volunteers, from the actors on stage to set production to support staff.

With a big and bewildering selection of potential shows to consider, who actually chooses what NTC offers to its audience?

Newnan Theatre Company utilizes a creative advisory board for that purpose. With a staff of nearly 100 volunteers, NTC rolls out numerous stage productions and workshops, typically with unobstructed frequency. That changed when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, leading NTC to shut down for 15 months. Desperate for operating funds, Moore and her intrepid group of volunteers hit on a brilliant idea.

“In December of 2020, we put together a holiday extravaganza telethon,” she recalls. “Because it was at the height of the pandemic, we came in small groups and pre-recorded most of it. We did it like an old-fashioned telethon. We had hosts who broadcasted live, and we could cut to a recorded clip of a particular performance. We had all sorts of entertainment segments, from singing to dancing, and we aired that. Some of those clips are still on our website. It was very successful.”                                                         

Indeed it was. The NTC team raised $20,000 at a time when they were shut down for business.

On March 26, 2021, another setback came when a devastating EF4 tornado raged through downtown Newnan with NTC headquarters in its path. Large sections of the building’s exterior were severely damaged and eventually repaired.

With the height of the pandemic and tornado behind, NTC is back on track, creating and producing quality staged events and workshops. In 2022 alone, stage productions through October included “The Savannah Sipping Society, ” “Kong’s Night Out,” “9 to 5, the Musical,” “Lying in State” and “The Mousetrap.”

In addition to NTC’s major production, their improv group – Newnan Improv Troupe With Intelligent Talented Stooges (N.I.T.W.I.T.S.) – performs comedy and satire shows throughout the year. Newnan Theatre Company also offers a full menu of workshops and classes for every age group, including the Academy of Theater Arts for elementary and middle school students and the Actors Workshop for high schoolers. Participants learn stage direction, vocal technique, choreography, character development, set design, costuming and much more.

With the holiday season at hand, their Christmas-themed productions are on tap. Newnan Theatre Company annually features one classic from a rotating list of five popular holiday presentations. This season’s offering is a version of “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Many are familiar with the 1946 film version; however, the NTC play, “It’s a Wonderful Life, The Radio Play,” is a clever production inside a production with the story told as experienced from inside a vintage 1940s radio broadcast studio.

Youger directs the play and shares what this production means to her.

“This story speaks to me, this year especially,” she says. “This will be the third holiday season in the pandemic where we have all been challenged to find a new normal, and we've lost people who meant so much to us. This is a story of love, forgiveness and redemption – and a reminder of how much we affect those we share our lives with.”

Moore emphasizes items on her NTC wish list: “We want more community awareness of the Newnan Theatre Company and for many more to experience the joys of volunteering in our productions.”

With a cornucopia of planned productions and workshops geared to all age groups, NTC shares all the ways to get involved at newnantheatre.org. NCM

It’s a Wonderful Life, The Radio Play
Dec. 1-4, 8-11 | 2022

They Came from Mars and Landed Outside the Farndale Avenue Church Hall in time for the Townswomenʼs Guild’s Coffee Morning
Feb. 9-12, 16-19 | 2023

Calendar Girls
March 9-12, 16-19 | 2023

Meteor Shower
April 13-16, 20-23 | 2023

Monty Pyton’s Spamalot
May 4-7, 11-14 | 2023