Gaslight Theatre
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The Gaslight Theatre of Enid, Oklahoma, was founded in 1966 under its original name of Enid Community Theatre. Gaslight is one of Oklahoma’s oldest and most active community theatres. The theatre has been housed in an old TV studio in the 200 Block of East Randolph, later made its home in a converted warehouse in the 200 block of East Maple and in 1989 came to its present location at 221 N Independence. The current theatre was purchased and fully renovated with tremendous community support.
Built as the Billings Theatre in the early twentieth century, 221 N Independence was home to vaudeville and other live performances. Over the next 50 years, it went through several incarnations becoming the Criterion Movie House, then evolved into the Chief Movie Theatre and in the mid-70s became the Cinema Twin, never going dark for any extended length of time.
Gaslight’s mission is to promote and present theatrical productions for the education, enjoyment and literary enlightenment of the Enid area. The heartbeat of Enid’s Community Theatre is that of its volunteers. What makes Gaslight successful is a great deal of work by volunteers, both onstage and backstage and wonderful support from community residents, who give both their resources and their applause to the effort.
Gaslight presents high-caliber productions which include dramas, comedies and musicals. Eight regular productions are staged each year including our five regular season shows, plus a dinner theatre production, a summer musical and Shakespeare in the Park. In 2004 Gaslight celebrated its 10th season of free Shakespeare in the Park, presented in the historic Government Springs Park. Our dinner theatre is presented at the Enid Symphony Center in its newly renovated Symphony Ballroom Theatre. Gaslight Teens have made resurgence in the last few years to present a play annually.[1]
