Theatrical productions in Roswell, New Mexico began in 1939 when Zelma and Paul McEvoy formed a touring company called The Roswell Players. The Players produced musical variety shows and melodramas that were performed at rural schoolhouses throughout the area.
World War II closed down the Roswell Players but, in 1947, members of the Players who returned to Roswell, New Mexico produced "You Can't Take It With You." Although the play was a success, there was little theatrical activity in the decade or so that followed. It wasn't until Walker Air Force Base personnel increased that interest in theater grew, and the small group of actors grew with it. There were continuous annual efforts from 1958 through 1962.
In 1962, the group formally organized and the city provided an old building at 1101 North Virginia Avenue for productions. Over time, the group installed a graduated concrete floor, added a foyer and three rest rooms, created a small backstage area, and installed an adequate light booth as well as seating for 149 people. Eventually, air conditioning and heating were added, plus a green room at the back, and a large metal storage building for flats, stage equipment and costumes.
Carolyn Knight and Howell Russ contributed monumentally both on stage and behind the scenes. Both were magnificent on stage. Carolyn was a director par excellence and Howell knew the sound and lights system inside out. Their legacy is a major part of the foundation upon which RCLT is built.
Helen and Jack Cusack were two primary pioneers of our group Helen was our costume mistress for many, many years and is responsible for our extensive inventory of wardrobe items. Everyone called her "Mother" or "Mother Helen."
Carolyn loved her roses and kept a marvelous garden. Carolyn and Howell were a fantastic pair. 
While some of the early history is fuzzy or lost in the mists of time, we do know that the first President of the RCLT was Anne Heider pictured below with husband Kal. Along with Kal, Carolyn, Helen, and Howell, she helped form the foundation of the theatre troupe. Kal served in all the backstage roles and as "gopher" for Anne. He also was treasurer for 15 years. Anne was an accomplished actress and director.
The RCLT has produced some of the century's finest plays, among them "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe", "The Glass Menagerie", "Streetcar Named Desire","Rain", "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", "The Crucible", "Tobacco Road", "Wait Until Dark", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "Lilies of the Field", and "Barefoot in the Park." A production of Euripedes' "Trojan Women" in 1969 won a national award by placing third among 61 theater entries in the annual competition of the Associated Education Council of Arts, Crafts and Sciences.
The RCLT currently produces five or more productions each year, predominantly comedies. The group has, however, performed more than two hundred plays, from traditional English drama to lighthearted melodrama. Past productions include musicals such as"Mame", "The Man From La Mancha", and "The Music Man". Other productions include comedies such as "Move Over Mrs. Markham" and "Cactus Flower" as well as a selection of equally demanding dramas such a "Dark at the Top of the Stair" and "Catch Me If You Can." In 1983 the RCLT even produced a series of Summer dinner theaters that were held at the Roswell Inn and at the Sally Port Inn. Then, in Summer of 1997, and with a $1000 grant from Target, the RCLT began an annual Youth theater that still inspires and delights children and parents today.
RCLT is known for performing wonderful original works. In Fall of 1995, the RCLT produced the premiere for "The Trials of William Shakespeare", an adaptation by local author and theatre member Frank Schlatter from the novel The Shakespeare Transcripts by Mark P. Friedlander, Jr. and Robert W. Kenny. Authors of the book came from New York and Washington, D.C. to participate in the premiere! In the Summer of 1997. In collaboration with UFO Encounter '97, the RCLT again produced an original work - a one-act play entitled "Ezekiel's Wheels" by John R. Rosenburg. For the UFO Festival in '98, the RCLT produced another world premiere entitled "Roswell: The Musical", to great acclaim. Frank Schlatter also wrote an original one-act comedy for the UFO Festival in 2001 entitled "The X-Files of Roswell." Another original production named "Flying Saucers" and written by by Terry Earp of Phoenix, Arizona was presented in July 2003.
The Summer Youth Program continues to provide opportunities for Roswell youngsters to the age of 18 to participate in a theatre production. In 2000, "Little Women" was highly successful, as was the musical, "Annie, Jr." (an abbreviated version of "Annie") in Summer of 2001. The Youth Theatre has expanded into a Partners-In-Education program with several of the schools in the Roswell Independent School District including Chisum and Valley View Elementary schools. The troupe produced a one-act play based upon Dr. Seuss' book Daisy-Head Mayzie at Chisum. Noticed by principals at other schools, the production later was performed at Pecos, Valley View, and Military Heights Elementary Schools.
As an outreach to the community, around Halloween in 1998 the RCLT participated in a series of fund-raisers for the Roswell Public Library, the first of which was the one-act play "Murder By Moonlight." That was followed the next year with "Murder at the Banquet" and later by "And Then There Was One". We have performed "Almost the Bride of Dracula" this year.
The RCLT is planning construction of a new modern theatrical facility on the land where the theater presently is located although proposals by the City of Roswell and other groups may see the new building erected on land just to the west of the Roswell Civic Center. Preliminary drawings and a model have been created, and a certified architectural firm developed the advanced schematic phase documents needed to inaugurate a major fund-raising campaign.
Current plans provide for social affairs that do not require the large space now provided by the Civic Center. Included in the features projected for the theater are a large lobby, office space, meeting rooms, an easy access ticket reservation area, a rehearsal room, plus expanded scene shops, costume department, Green Room and makeup rooms. The new theater will increase seating to 300 seats.
Several years ago, late 80's or early 90s, Marietta Taylor drew a group of RCLT regulars for the annual Curtains Rsing festivities. Marietta did not sign the pictures. The calligraphy was done by Jim Bignell so that she could get credit for the art work. Unfortunately, her name was cut off in the processing of the photographs. The pictures are presented here for all to enjoy. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger picture. There is one picture of Fred Mcdonald to be added to the collection here.
The annual membership of RCLT ranges between 60 and 80 members. Become a member by participating in some capacity with a production of RCLT, and then pay just $5 annual dues. Members may pay $25.00 annual dues and receive a season ticket worth $30.00. Newcomers are always welcome!
Our logo at the top in the corners is a shield with the stylized masks of comedy and tragedy and the lower case letters "r c l t," was developed by the Roswell High School Art teacher, Richard Emmons.
