Welcome to the Phoenix Theatre Company, the professional theatre company rooted in this city, whose theatre building you now face. It began in 1920 when a troupe called the Phoenix Players—founded by Harry Behn and Maie Bartlett Heard, who also founded the Heard Museum—joined the Little Theatre Movement. That early energy carried them into the Heard family’s coach house at Central and McDowell Roads four years later, and by 1928 they applied for articles of incorporation; by their eighth season they boasted 424 members.
By 1940 the community around this stage swelled to close to 1,000 members, and the company remained in operation throughout World War II. Today this non-profit corporation still carries that civic spirit: it encompasses the Hormel Theatre, the Judith Hardes Theatre, and the new Dr. Stacie J. and Richard J Stephenson Theatre, alongside Partners That Heal and numerous community-focused programs. Each year they host The Richard P. Stahl Festival Of New American Theatre to promote new works in Arizona, keeping the city’s stories moving forward.
Notice the long arc of community and creativity written into the theatre building and the municipal cultural complex that surrounds it.