CAST History
The roots of community theatre in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, stretch back to 1947 with the formation of The Old Town Players. The group made the band shell at S.B. Elliott State Park its home and, in just a few years, produced more than 100 plays for area audiences.
In 1971, The Old Town Players lost their band shell home and eventually disbanded, but the community's passion for live theatre continued.
A new home for theatre was found in 1972 in the basement of St. John Lutheran Church. There, the St. John Studio Theatre began as a summer theatre and soon grew into a year-round operation offering plays, classes, workshops, and other opportunities for local artists and performers.
A new chapter began in 1982 with the birth of the Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre (CAST).
CAST created a permanent home for the arts in the Clearfield community. Its building provided space not only for live theatre, but also for dance, visual art, and music studios, along with areas dedicated to sets, props, costumes, offices, and organizational activities.
Transforming the building into an arts center was itself a community effort. Much of the renovation was accomplished through thousands of hours of volunteer labor, along with generous donations and support from individuals and businesses throughout the area. That spirit of volunteerism and community support became part of the foundation upon which CAST was built.
In the decades since, CAST has continued the tradition of community theatre that began in Clearfield nearly 80 years ago. Its stage has hosted musicals, comedies, dramas, children's productions, concerts, and countless other performances. CAST has also provided classes, camps, workshops, and opportunities for people of all ages to discover and develop their artistic talents.
Generations of area residents have participated at CAST—on stage, backstage, in the orchestra, in classrooms, as volunteers, and as members of the audience. For some, CAST has provided their first opportunity to step onto a stage. For others, it has become a creative home they have returned to for decades.
Today, the Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre continues to serve the community from its home in Downtown Clearfield. While CAST has grown and changed through the years, the organization remains rooted in the same community spirit that made its creation possible.
From The Old Town Players in 1947, to the St. John Studio Theatre in 1972, to the creation of CAST in 1982, the story of theatre in Clearfield is one of perseverance, creativity, volunteerism, and community.
More than three-quarters of a century after that story began, the curtain continues to rise.
In 1971, The Old Town Players lost their band shell home and eventually disbanded, but the community's passion for live theatre continued.
A new home for theatre was found in 1972 in the basement of St. John Lutheran Church. There, the St. John Studio Theatre began as a summer theatre and soon grew into a year-round operation offering plays, classes, workshops, and other opportunities for local artists and performers.
A new chapter began in 1982 with the birth of the Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre (CAST).
CAST created a permanent home for the arts in the Clearfield community. Its building provided space not only for live theatre, but also for dance, visual art, and music studios, along with areas dedicated to sets, props, costumes, offices, and organizational activities.
Transforming the building into an arts center was itself a community effort. Much of the renovation was accomplished through thousands of hours of volunteer labor, along with generous donations and support from individuals and businesses throughout the area. That spirit of volunteerism and community support became part of the foundation upon which CAST was built.
In the decades since, CAST has continued the tradition of community theatre that began in Clearfield nearly 80 years ago. Its stage has hosted musicals, comedies, dramas, children's productions, concerts, and countless other performances. CAST has also provided classes, camps, workshops, and opportunities for people of all ages to discover and develop their artistic talents.
Generations of area residents have participated at CAST—on stage, backstage, in the orchestra, in classrooms, as volunteers, and as members of the audience. For some, CAST has provided their first opportunity to step onto a stage. For others, it has become a creative home they have returned to for decades.
Today, the Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre continues to serve the community from its home in Downtown Clearfield. While CAST has grown and changed through the years, the organization remains rooted in the same community spirit that made its creation possible.
From The Old Town Players in 1947, to the St. John Studio Theatre in 1972, to the creation of CAST in 1982, the story of theatre in Clearfield is one of perseverance, creativity, volunteerism, and community.
More than three-quarters of a century after that story began, the curtain continues to rise.