Fifty years ago, PlayMakers Repertory Company was built on a bold idea: that professional theatre and artistic training could make each other stronger—and that world class theatre could be created here in North Carolina. Since then, hundreds of productions, thousands of artists, and generations of audiences have helped make that promise real. Rooted in more than a century of theatrical innovation at UNC-Chapel Hill, PlayMakers has continued to evolve, discover new voices, and imagine what theatre can be. This is the story of where we’ve been and who we are today.
Early Foundations
PlayMakers’ roots reach back more than a century to 1918 when Frederick “Proff” Koch arrived at UNC-Chapel Hill and transformed the study of theatre at the University. Proff Koch soon founded the Carolina Playmakers, bringing students and community members together to perform the classics as well as create new American plays. In addition to becoming a central part of campus life, they took their work on the road throughout the Southeast to spread the impact of theatre throughout the region. His students included Thomas Wolfe and Pulitzer Prize-winner Paul Green, and his influence helped establish UNC as a national leader in theatrical education.
When the Department of Dramatic Art was formally established in 1936 (celebrating it’s 90th anniversary this year!), it carried forward a tradition that remains at the heart of PlayMakers today: bringing together education, professional artistry, and the transformative power of live theatre.
Carolina PlayMakers production of Hamlet in the Forest Theatre in 1935
50 Years Ago…
Above: Tom Haas
Below: Arthur Housman
By the mid-1970s, Department of Dramatic Art professors Tom Haas and Arthur Housman imagined a new chapter in UNC’s theatrical story: a professional theatre company where accomplished artists and emerging theatre-makers could work side by side. Building on the extraordinary legacy of the Carolina Playmakers and joining the regional theatre movement sweeping the nation at the time, they officially founded PlayMakers Repertory Company in 1976, creating a home for extraordinary performances, innovative storytelling, and the next generation of artists.
PlayMakers soon joined the League of Resident Theatres (LORT), establishing its place among the nation’s leading professional theatre companies—a legacy that continues 50 years later.
PlayMakers’ professional debut in 1976
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible in January 1977 was PlayMakers’ first fully professional production with a formal agreement with LORT.
A Legacy Upon Legacy
The evolution from Carolina Playmakers to the professional PlayMakers Repertory Company in 1976 was not a departure from the tradition that came before, but a continuation of its belief that great theatre thrives when artists work and train together.
Breaking Ground
The Paul Green Theatre was completed in 1978 and is where PlayMakers Repertory Company continues to perform to this day.
The Paul Green Theatre’s thrust stage, where the audience wraps around three sides rather than just one, continues the spirit of community of our beginnings. We want all of our audience to be in close conversation with us and understand what it means when we gather to experience something together.
The Center for Dramatic Art opened in 1998, bringing PlayMakers and UNC’s Department of Dramatic Art together in one facility. It was an expansive addition to the existing Paul Green Theatre building, adding the Elizabeth Price Kenan Theatre, thanks to a generous gift from Betty Kenan, as well as bringing the rehearsal hall, shops, classrooms, and studio spaces all under one roof.
In 2017, the CDA was officially renamed the Joan H. Gillings Center for Dramatic Art, recognizing a transformational gift honoring the enduring partnership between PlayMakers and the Department.
Celebrate the Legacy
Shape the Future
For 50 years, PlayMakers has created bold, unforgettable theatre—from reimagined classics to daring new works that stay with audiences long after the final bow. Our resident company performs alongside Pulitzer, Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award-winning artists, many of whom first found their voice here at PlayMakers.
But sustaining theatre at this level takes more than vision—it takes a community of supporters. Ticket revenue covers less than 40% of what it takes to bring our productions to the stage.
When you give to PlayMakers, you support:
Our professional resident acting company, a rare and treasured ensemble at the heart of our work
Award-winning guest artists from across the globe
Broadway-quality design—Sets, lighting, sound, and costumes all made here
New work that lifts up diverse voices of the American theatre
K–12 student matinees and the Summer Youth Conservatory
Your gift will ensure the next 50 years of imagination, excellence, and community!
