Then and Now—A Brief History of the Carteret Community Theatre
Since October of 1948 there has been an amateur theatre group here in Carteret County. That original group reorganized in November of 1953 as the Carteret Community Theatre.
During those early years, the C.C.T. often consisted of a nucleus of only eight or ten active members. Productions were mounted by inviting persons from throughout the county to “trod the boards” or, if they had no inclination to act, to help with operations backstage.
To this day, the C.C.T. has never had its own theater auditorium so plays have been given in schools, restaurants, tents or in store fronts.
In the late 1950s, the Theatre’s small bank account began to improve with the production of historical plays based on local figures such as the Confederate spy, Emeline Pigott. This continued in the 1960s with productions based on Blackbeard, the pirate, and on Otway Burns, privateer. All of these plays were written and produced by Ruth Barbour without royalty fees charged to the Theatre.
When royalty fees were required, the C.C.T. felt fortunate to break even. Some early productions ranged from comedy to tragedy and from one-acts to musicals.
In recent years, musicals and children’s shows have been high on our audiences’ popularity list. Altogether, in the past 59 years, the C.C.T. has mounted over 160 major productions—an average of almost three a year.
Monthly business meetings have been held in members’ homes, at the Webb Civic Center and at the Carteret Community College. In 1980, the Theatre negotiated a lease for the former railroad station on Arendell Street in Morehead City. That “depot” is now owned by the City and C.C.T. leases warehouse space on Bridges Street.
In addition to producing plays and musicals, Theatre personnel have written and performed TV commercials for the literacy council, participated in a textbook-on-tape project at WCHS, aided drams clubs at ECHS and at Cherry Point, provided actors and actress for videos concerning social issues, given numerous programs for local civic clubs and for academically gifted students and performed special theatrics at KidFest and for the County Historical Society.
During the 1980s the Theatre sponsored performances here by the Charlotte Opera Company, the National Shakespeare Company and the N.C. Shakespeare Festival Company. Since 1994 the C.C.T. has cosponsored residencies each year by artists with the Missoula Children’s Theatre giving local children unique theatrical opportunities.
The establishment of the LeRae Kesel Fund has enabled the Theatre to assist various programs to aid county children in theatre arts. The Jennifer Keeter Blessing Fund may also be used to benefit children.
The success of the C.C.T. over more than half a century can be attributed to dedication, determination and talent. But those fine attributes might have been to no avail without the outstanding support of businesses and individuals who have helped, and continue to help, financially with both patronage and sponsorship; from school and college personnel who have cooperated in providing stage facilities for rehearsals and productions; from people who have built sets, made costumes, applied makeup and most importantly from you, our audiences who have helped to make it all worthwhile. Our heartfelt thanks to you.
Past Productions
When you've been around as long as we have, you've probably done a lot. Here is our list of shows and events produced over the last 60+ years:
1948 - 1953 1954
Voice of the Turtle One Foot in Heaven
Joan of Lorraine Father of the Bride
Blithe Spirit The Nightmare
Claudia Nativity Tableau
1955 1956
Arsenic and Old Lace Night Must Fall
Night of January 16th. Peg O' My Heart
See How They Run
Nativity Tableau
1957 1958
Laura The Bishop's Mantle
Peek-a-Boo Penny
Papa is All
1959 1960
Bonnie Blue Sweetheart Cocktail Party
Angel Street A Man Called Peter
Bonnie Blue Sweetheart
Cinderella (Theatre of Women's
College Touring Company)
1961 1962
One Act Plays Portrait in Black
The Egg and I The Mistress of Mellyn
The Little Minister Pinochio (Theatre of Women's
College Touring Company)
1963 1964
Blackbeard - Raider of the You the Jury
Carolina Seas Blackbeard
Janus Blithe spirt
1965 1966
Pool's Paradise Blackbeard
Blackbeard Picnic
1967 1968
Mary, Mary Lost Horizon
Dial "M" For Murder
1969 1970
The Monkey's Paw Poetry Reading
Otway Burns - Firebrand The Children's Hour
of 1812 Otway Burns
Seven Year Itch Beauty and the Beast
Two For One Scenes from:
The Imaaginary Invalid
The Importance of Being Ernest
Lysistrata
1971 1972
The Miracle Worker Luv
Cinderella
1973 1974
The Imaginary Invalid The Fantastics
You're A Good Man Charlie NC Night
Brown Many Are the Hearts
Broadway Tonight Ca'line
25th. Anniveresary Celebration Musical Interlude
A Funny Thing Happened on the
Way to the Forum
1975 1976
Grammercy Ghost It Happened Here
A View From the Bridge
1977 1978
Last of the Red Hot Lovers The Creature Creeps
Twelve Dancing Princesses Not With My Daughter
Mr. Scrooge 30th. Anniversary Celebration
1979 1980
Little Red Riding Hood A Madrigal Dinner
(NC Opera Company) Harvey
6 Rms Riv Vu The Sound of Music
Guys and Dolls I Do! I Do!
The Gingerbread Lady
Mr. Scrooge
1981 1982
Night of January 16th. The Man Who Came to Dinner
Mame The Music Man
Vanities You Know I Can't Hear You
Mr. Scrooge When the Water's Running
Cinderella
1983 1984
Cat On a Hot Tin Roof Much Ado About Nothing
Play It Again Sam (Nat. Shakespeare Company)
The Prince Who Wouldn't Talk Bell, Book and Candle
Hello, Dolly! The Good Doctor
Ten Little Indians Barefoot in the Park
35th. Anniversary Celebration Charlotte and Wilber
The Wizard of Oz Camelot
1985 1986
It Had To Be You The Velveteen Rabit
On These Shores Subject To Change
Winnie the Pooh The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Crimes of the Heart Mr. Scrooge
1987 1988
My Emperor's New Clothes A Midsummer's Night Dream
Love's Labors Lost (NC Shakespeare Festival)
(NC Shakespeare Festival) Babes in Toyland
The Curious Savage
1989 1990
Oliver Theatre Banquet Gala
Spirit of Christmas Nunsnese
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Narnia
1991 1992
It Had To Be You Rumors
Steel Magnolias The Foreigner
How To Eat Like A Child Tom Sawyer's Treasure Island
A Musical Caberet H.M.S. Pinafore
Pippin
1993 1994
Fiddler on the Roof Cinderella (Missoula
Nuptials (Childrens Theatre)
A Gala Celebration The Kingfisher
Peter Pan Nunsense
Heidi
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
1995 1996
Alice in Wonderland (MCT) Jack and the Beanstalk (MCT)
Funeral for a Gangster Squabbles
Noah's Animals Smoke on the Mountain
Same Time Next Year
Miracle on 34th. Street
1997 1998
The Wizard of Oz (MCT) Rumpelstilskin (MCT)
Smoke on the Mountain An Evening of One Acts
The Chocolate Factory Ledge, Ledger andthe Legend
Winter Chicken A Sunny Morning
A Gift for Penelope A New Sunrise
Little Women
Audience Particiption Night
50th. Anniversary Celebration
Mr. Scrooge
1999 2000 Beauty Lou and the Country Sleeping Beauty (MCT)
Beast (MCT) The Cemetery Club
Come Back to the Five & Dime, So You Wanna Be a Star
Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean Theartical Workshop
Christmas Stories (Boys & Girls Club)
The Cemetery Club
(dinner theatre)
Treasure Island (MCT)
We Need a Little Christmas
2001 2002
Life Goes On Red Riding Hood (MCT)
So You Wanna Be a Star The Wedding from Hell
The Nerd (dinner theatre)
1940's Radio Hour Weekend Comedy
Eleemosynary
The Fatal Fifties Affair
(dinner theatre)
Jack and the Beanstalk (MCT)
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
2003 2004
Sweet By-N-By The Queen of Bingo (dinner theatre)
The Queen of Bingo Life Goes On
Hansel and Gretel (MCT) Broadway International (with the
We Need A Little Christmas C.C.C. singers)
Nuncrackers
2005 2006
Dearly Departed A Chorus Line
Broadway Musical Revue Glenn Gary Glenn Ross
Annie, Jr. Mr. Scrooge
Junglebook (MCT)
An Evening of Elvis (Graceland)
The Sights and Sounds of Christmas
2007 2008
Just Desserts (two one-acts) Robinson Crusoe (MCT)
1. Guess Who's Coming to Lunch
2. Dinner Plans The Real Queen of Hearts
Allow Me To Introduce Myself Home Free
Miracle on 34th. Street We've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
2009
The Little Mermaid (MCT) 2010
Faith County Sleeping Beauty (MCT)
The Vagina Monologues Broadway At Its Best
Plaza Suite (Audition Workshop)
Christmas Potpourri August: Osage County
Christmas With the Sound of
Music
2011
The Sound of Music
The Tortoise and the Hare (MCT)