Chamberlayne Actors Theatre

A Brief History

In spring of 1964, a group of neighbors met at the new North Chamberlayne Civic Association (NCCA) building and decided they wanted to form a community theatre group.  They had no idea that they were planting the seeds for what is now a well-regarded professional theatre that has endured for 60 years.

Governance and Management of CAT

Most theatres, community and professional, are created with staff positions in place, beginning with the Artistic or Managing Director. This person is generally supported by an Assistant Managing Director and then by an administrative staff. Because of the way CAT was created and developed over the years, it has what is called a Working Board. The Steering Council, which produced all the shows and handled all the day-to-day management, transitioned into the Board in 1995. A new Governing Board or Advisory Board was not created, and the Board became the ipso facto both staff and Board of the newly created theatre. It remains both the governing body of CAT and the management/administration body to this day. Board members handle all day-to-day work and decisions for CAT.

CAT’s Mission and Vision Statements

CAT’s mission is to present the metro Richmond area with a unique, dynamic, professional theatre experience in our welcoming, creative atmosphere.

CAT’s Vision is to provide opportunities for community members: professionals, amateurs, and novices, to learn and to share their knowledge of the various jobs in theatre. We offer this in a professional atmosphere, meeting professional standards. We want to share the development of the artistic process in an atmosphere that is both encouraging and respectful.