| Season |
Events |
| 1953/54 |
The Guild began with a January discussion by Dick Clark, Earl Scheidt, and Alan Hunn. "Sug" Adlam added her advice. In May, 30 people showed up to express their interest, and in September, Light Up The Sky was presented in three performances at Caesar Rodney High School. In April, 1954, Maker Of Dreams won the Community Theater Plaque at the Delaware Drama Festival. |
| 1954/55 |
Portrait of a Madonna won Best Actress, Best Director outside of a winning play, and Runner-Up for Best Play at the Delaware Drama Festival. |
| 1957/58 |
Dwindling membership forced cancellation of a third production. |
| 1958/59 |
The Guild concentrated on building membership. |
| 1959/60 |
After the season's first play, the Guild had to find a new venue. The second play was presented at Smyrna HS and the third at Wesley College Little Theater. The Lark took technical honors and Runner-Up for Best Play at the Delaware Drama Festival. |
| 1960/61 |
The Guild incorporated and formed the Kent County Theatre Guild Foundation. First Trustees were Bill Pool, Bella Ward, and Bill Hughes. Productions continued to be held at Wesley College Little Theater. |
| 1962/63 |
The Happy Journey won a Special Merit Award at the Delaware Drama Festival. |
| 1964/65 |
A cutting from Death of A Salesman won Best Play, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Runner-Up for Best Actor at the Delaware Drama Festival. In May, 1964, the Guild leased the Hinkle Building from the City of Dover for $1 per year. The site was used to hold meetings and rehearsals and to store props and costumes. |
| 1965/66 |
Productions were moved to William Henry Middle School |
| 1970/71 |
In May, 1971, the city condemned the Hinkle Building and made plans to raze it. |
| 1971/72 |
Cactus Flower was presented at Dover HS, but later productions returned to William Henry. St. John's Lutheran Church offered the Guild its old building on the condition that it be moved. |
| 1972/73 |
Roar of the Greaspaint was performed at the Dover Century Club, with an additional dinner theater performance at the Holiday Inn. In July, the Guild moved the old St.John's Lutheran Church building to Roosevelt Avenue. |
| 1973/74 |
Butterflies Are Free was the Guild's first regular production in the newly named Patchwork Playhouse. A preview performance was presented to the congregation of St. John's Lutheran Church. The Guild's first Summer Fundraiser, a Gay Nineties Revue suggested by "Sug" Adlam, provided the means to pay bills through the summer months. |
| 1974/75 |
The Guild moved from five performances in one week to the same number over two weekends. "Sug" Adlam created the first of many Club Bimbos, a spoof on a sleazy nightclub, as the Summer Fundraiser. The profits not only paid the bills, but provided for repairs and improvements to our facilities. |
| 1975/76 |
Guild hosted the World Premiere of The Tory Spinster, an original mini-musical, with a reception to honor the author, Paula Schwartz, and composer, Neil Moyer. |
| 1976/77 |
A cutting from The Tavern earned a Certificate for Excellence In Acting for its leading man at the Delaware Theatre Association Play Festival. |
| 1977/78 |
A fifth production was added to the season to celebrate the Guild's 25th year. Dave Harmon's original play Merb and Brem received technical honors and a special citation at the Delaware Theatre Association Play Festival. |
| 1979/80 |
The Belle of Amherst won Best Play and a Certificate of Excellence in Acting at the Delaware Theatre Association Play Festival, and another Certificate of Excellence in Acting in Regional Competition. |
| 1980/81 |
A cutting from And Miss Reardon Drinks A Little won Best Play, Best Actress, and Best Director at the Delaware Theatre Association Play Festival. |
| 1982/83 |
The Gin Game replaced Club Bimbo due to Sug Adlam's illness |
| 1983/84 |
Declining membership forced cancellation of the planned first production, so director Bella Ward reprised her award-winning performance as The Belle of Amherst. Sug Adlam's Club Bimbo returned and produced sufficient revenue to expand the back of the theater to enclose the backstage entrances and provide storage space for sets. |
| 1985/86 |
Author Richard Peck attended the opening of The Cubs Are In Fourth Place and Fading. Lack of male chorus members forces cancellation of Club Bimbo. |
| 1986/87 |
The Fabulous Fifties, a variety show, replaced Club Bimbo because of Sug Adlam's illness |
| 1987/88 |
Jane Polo's Westward Ho! Ho! Ho!, a musical revue spoofing westerns, was the new Summer Fundraiser. |
| 1989/90 |
Bimbo Revisited returned as the Summer Fundraiser. |
| 1990/91 |
Construction expanding the lobby, restrooms, and auditorium was completed just in time for the first show of the season. Dandelion Wine was named one of the year's five best community theater productions by the Wilmington News Journal. On Tidy Endings won Best Play and Best Actor awards at the Delaware Theatre Association Play Festival, and took home the Best Actor award at regional competition. Westward returned with a Manhattan theme as the Summer Fundraiser |
| 1991/92 |
Increased membership allowed expansion to a fifth regular-season production. Greater Tuna substituted for Love Letters when rights to the latter were unavailable. The Boys Next Door was named one of year's five best shows by the Wilmington News Journal. |
| 1992/93 |
Love Letters was added to the schedule when rights unexpectedly become available, with a different cast for each performance. The Farndale Avenue... Christmas Carol was chosen as one of the year's best by the Wilmington News Journal. |
| 1993/94 |
The Fortieth Anniversary "Heritage Season" included one play from each decade of the Guild's history, plus one new production. |
| 1995/96 |
Bruce Leister, Sheila R. Williams, and Mike and Chris Polo jumped in and produced Falling In Love Again ... And Again for our Summer Fundraiser when Jane Polo's illness brought the Westward series to a halt |
| 1996/97 |
Debbie Hammond's KCTG-TV 70's Variety Show gave another new look to the Summer Fundraiser |
| 1997/98 |
Act II (Hamlet) of Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) won Best Ensemble and Runner-Up for Best Play at the Delaware Theatre Association One-Act Play Festival. |
| 1998/99 |
A power surge during a performance of Acts and Contrition forced us to replace our stage lighting system and take a hard look at the rest of our "infrastructure". The Summer Fundraiser had to be cancelled. |
| 1999/00 |
A phenomenal effort by cast and crew and the creative team of Polo, Polo, and Leister restored the popular Summer Fundraiser with Delaware Unleashed. |
| 2000/01 |
When the publisher pulled the rights to The Ladies of the Camellias after rehearsals had begun, the Guild's creative minds went into overdrive and created Scrambled Air and Hams, a radio theater of the absurd. Our audience was ecstatic about the results. The popularity of 2000's Delaware Unleashed produced Delaware Unleashed Again. All seats for all shows were sold out before opening night. |
| 2001/02 |
Delaware Unleashed ... The Final Chapter sold out two weeks before it opened! |
| 2002/03 |
We didn't have a Summer Fundraiser this year, so that we could spend the summer getting the theater cleaned up and ready for our Fiftieth Anniversary Season. |
| 2003/04 |
We began our Fiftieth Anniversary season with a musical! Cast and audiences enjoyed it so much that we may very well do some ore musicals, soon. Noises Off presented at technical challenge - a working two-story, two-sided set. We had to make some major changes in our presentation space, which gave us the freedom to make some overdue technical improvements. Despite billing the 2002 Fundraiser as the "Final Chapter" of Delaware Unleashed, we came back with another edition this year, which was sold out, with a waiting list, more than a month before it opened. Talk about pressure to perform! (Picture of cast and crew) |
| 2004/05 |
We had hoped to open this season with a brand new curtain that would allow us to keep the improved sightlines created when we presented Noises Off, but that didn't work out. Next Year, for sure. Yet another chapter of Delaware Unleashed. |
| 2005/06 |
Driving MIss Daisy not only wowed critics and audiences, but swept the statewide competition, bringing home awards for Best Play, Best Director, and Best Actor. The Guild closed the year with The Best of Delaware Unleashed ... and Some New Numbers and sold out all performances in 24 hours, with ticket-buyers lining up outside the doors at dawn. |
| 2006/2007 |
Due to a number of factors (exhaustion being one), there was no Summer Fundraiser this year. |
| 2007/2008 |
No Summer Cabaret again this year. Time to consider where we go from here. |
| 2008/2009 |
The Guild cuts back from five shows a season to four as a result of declining membership. |
