The Little Theater Guild of Bartlesville had its beginning on February 16, 1925, when 35 local theater fans gathered at the home of Mrs. H.D. Cannon to hear Mrs. R. J. Riggs of the Tulsa Little Theater tell how their group was started some years earlier. The next day, the people met and elected their first officers and board members.

During the ensuing months, they held workshops on acting, directing, choosing a play, building sets, finding a theater and all of the other things that are necessary for a community theater. When they had done their homework”, Mrs. Riggs came up from Tulsa to direct the first play. It was produced at the Old Liberty Theater, which was located at Frank Phillips and Cherokee (now the Pizza Hut) on February 16, 1926. The play was the J. M. Barrie classic Mr. Pim Passes By. It was well received by the local audience and Little Theater was off to a fine start.Through 78 years, it has weathered the depression, wars, television, movies and is still going strong. The Guild has also produced plays for the Kiwanis Youth Fund since 1933.

The theater became charter members of OCTA (Oklahoma Community Theater Association) in 1968 and remain active in theater endeavors of this organization. Several people from Bartlesville have been board members as well as President of the State organization. Also, in 1985, the Guild hosted the OCTA State Play Festival.

The Little Theater Guild of Bartlesville was incorporated as a nonprofit organization with the State of Oklahoma in 1945. Plays were held at several of the elementary school auditoriums, the high school and the old Civic Center and eventually the Community Center.

In 1999, a 10,000 sq ft building located at 312 S Dewey, Bartlesville, was donated to the organization by one of our life long supporters, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Roll. Plays and the member socials were held at the new location but performances were still held at the Community Center.

In 2001, the overall rates at the Community Center became out of reach for the theater to continue performing there. The renovation process began at 312 S. Dewey and the 1st performance Steel Magnolias was held in September, 2002. The name was changed to Theater Bartlesville ”to keep in tune with this new beginning for the organization (although we remain incorporated as The Little Theater Guild of Bartlesville). In the 2009-2010 season, Theater Bartlesville will be entering the 85th consecutive year of live entertainment for Bartlesville .

Take a video tour of the building prior to renovations.

Outside view (left) and interior view (right). The building has undergone major renovations.