From Crossville’s Humble Beginnings to a Major Performing Arts Venue
In 1963, Crossville, Tennessee was a town you passed through on the way to other places. Located in Cumberland County, the town and surrounding Appalachian region was economically depressed. Resort and recreational development were in their infancy. High unemployment and poverty were normal. Paul Crabtree was an actor, director, producer and composer. He attended Syracuse University, and made his Broadway debut when he succeeded the role of Will Parker in the original Broadway production of Oklahoma!. He was then given a contract with the Theatre Guild and went on to produce and direct Broadway shows with such legends as Helen Hayes, Charlton Heston, José Ferrer, Geraldine Paige, Loretta Young, E.G. Marshall, and many others.
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The Inspiring Journey of Paul and Mary Crabtree
Mary Crabtree spent her youth in Pittsburgh and Crossville before moving to New York. It was there, in 1941, that she met Paul in the National Company of George Abbott’s Kiss & Tell. They fell in a love and were married. Mary balanced her acting and modeling career with motherhood, while Paul directed for The Theater Guild. Later, after writing stints for television shows such as The Loretta Young Show, the family took a sabbatical in Crossville where Mary had family. This was a to give Paul some time to write his book, Stories from Doby Creek, and the more important matter at hand, what to do next career-wise that would be best for the family. While in Crossville, community leaders approached Paul about staging a show for the local school-aged children, and a dream was born. In December of that year, Paul Crabtree’s The Perils of Pinocchio was presented at the Crossville Junior High School with a cast, crew, and orchestra of 200 youngsters. The performance electrified the community.
To a community with no museums, no college or university, no live performance organizations, just one movie theater and a ninety-minute drive to the nearest city, the idea was extremely compelling that Pinocchio might be the beginning of new educational horizons for their children. Civic and cultural leaders asked Crabtree how they could keep things like – happening in Crossville. “Well, you’d have to build a theater,” he replied. “The old junior high auditorium isn’t even safe.”
The Legacy of Paul and Mary Crabtree: Pioneers of Rural Theater
Remarkably, in a town of 5,000, in a county of 25,000, that’s exactly what they did. The entire community got behind the idea of the Playhouse because people believed it could make a vital contribution to education and the local economy and help create some new jobs. In 1965, The Playhouse opened with the world premiere of Tennessee, USA, a musical Paul Crabtree wrote for the theater’s opening and featured the professional acting debut of Broadway, film, and television star Bob Gunton. The Cumberland County Playhouse is now the only major non-profit professional performing arts resource in rural Tennessee, and one of the 10 largest professional theaters in rural America. It serves more than 145,000 visitors annually with two indoor stages, an outdoor venue, Theater for Young Audiences productions, a comprehensive education program, and a concert series.
How a Community’s Dream Transformed into a Major Arts Institution
Combining a resident professional company and a full-time staff with more than 100 visiting professionals, guest artists, and a large volunteer corps, the Playhouse draws professionals from across the country and volunteers from a dozen Tennessee counties. Until recently, The Playhouse was managed and directed by two generations of the Crabtree family since 1965 including long-time Producing Director Jim Crabtree, former Resident Music Director Ann Crabtree, and former Artistic Director Abigail Crabtree. In 2016, after Mr. Crabtree’s retirement, Bryce McDonald became the Producing Director/CEO with Britt Hancock as Artistic Director and Weslie Webster as Education Director.
The rest of the Playhouse’s 2024 season features exciting titles like Grease (running until September 8, rated PG, co-sponsored by Ken and Grace Patton, Bob and Jaye Emrick, Club Wyndham, Fairfield Glade Resort, and Whisper Aero), Unnecessary Farce (August 16 – October 10, rated PG-13, co-sponsored by John and Christine Stinson, and Tim and Susan Tewalt; the Adventure Theater is Plateau Pediatrics), Beautiful- The Carole King Musical (September 20 – October 27, rated PG-13, co-sponsored by Dr. Edward and Karen Thornblade, Atlas Real Estate, Tracey Barnes, Owner/Realtor, and Mark Richie and Arlene Albert), Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (November 8 – December 21, rated G, sponsored by Uplands Village) and Ken Ludwig’s Twas The Night Before Christmas ( November 19 – December 22, rated G, co-sponsored by Comfort Suites, Quality Inn and Suites, and Tennessee College of Applied Tech Upper Cumberland; the Adventure Theater is Plateau Pediatrics).
For more theater information and tips, be sure to Download the Leisure Group Travel Theater Guide and Full August Edition for FREE
