Ferndale Repertory Theatre

The Ferndale Repertory Theatre is the oldest and largest of the North Coast's resident community theatres, having its beginning as Ferndale Little Theater in 1972. It is located in the small Victorian Village of Ferndale, in the historic Hart Theatre building, built in 1920.
FRT produces 6 main stage shows a year, plus special music performances. With a dedicated Producing Director, Board of Directors and a cadre of multi-talented volunteers, Ferndale Repertory Theatre is an active part of the Humboldt area art scene.

History:

Most theater companies start with a core group of actors and directors looking for a place to perform... sometimes that mean a storefront, a church basement or a school auditorium. In Ferndale, the theater building came first, supported by a community that, in turn, invited in actors, directors and other artists.

By the early 1970s, the Hart Theater building had been vacant for nearly 15 years. The community of Ferndale was experiencing an artistic boom, with scores of artists living and working in the town. When a group of Ferndale residents became excited by the possibility of renovating the old movie theater as a play house, a remarkable and energetic community came together, including businesspeople, merchants, artists, Navy personnel, farmers, and ranchers - thus the Ferndale Little Theater was formed in 1972. In 1979, the current Artistic Director proposed developing a repertory company and renamed the theater Ferndale Repertory Theatre. Although the repertory company was only in operation for a short time, the name endured.

Among the early believers was Mrs. Harris (Marty) Connick, who led the effort, and Tom Dimmick, owner of the Hart Theater building. Mr. Dimmick not only helped to fund the renovation work, but eventually sold the building to the non-profit group at a figure far below market value, finally gifting the building to the theater group upon his death in 1998. Mr. Dimmick's generosity provided the company with a stable home, thus helping to ensure its continued success.