by Kate Magruder

In 1977 Ukiah, California was pulsing with the energy of hundreds of new residents who had ridden the wave of the back-to-the-land movement into the hills and valleys of this rural region. In May of that year a disparate group of theatre artists discovered each other and hungrily fell to making plays together. A sparkling production of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Ernest" launched the little company that summer; they performed on the tiny stage of the Ukiah Golf Clubhouse, setting up and taking down folding chairs for the audience at each performance.

The community was dazzled by the spark and artistry of the Ukiah Players. One powerful show followed another, and soon there was a movement to raise money to build a theatre for the company. The City of Ukiah leased a piece of land across from the Ukiah high school to the Players for $1/hear, hundreds of volunteers donated time and materials, and in fall of 1982, the Ukiah playhouse opened its doors to the public. Phase 2 of the Playhouse was finished in 1988, adding dressing rooms, a shop and box office to the facility; administrative offices were completed in the Playhouse Annex in the fall of 2001.

Over the past twenty-five years Ukiah Players Theatre has produced over 120 mainstage shows, dozens of readings and musical events, as well as touring shows, in school performances and special projects. Several of the artists who created the company have moved from this area, but continue to participate in UPT programing whenever possible; cofounder Kate Magruder remains with the organization as Community Cultural Development Director, helping to oversee UPT's mission to provide our local artists and audiences with a wide range of theatre experiences including the classic and contemporary plays, as well as original theatre pieces created for, by and about our community.

For further information call the Playhouse Box Office at 462-9226 or log onto www.ukiahplayerstheatre.org

UPT's 25th Anniversary Season Schedule:

Playhouse Box Office: 462-9226