History

Town & Gown Players, Inc. has been producing live theatre for the Athens community continuously since 1953. The company has made its home in the Athens Community Theater since 1968. At the party we gave to celebrate 30 years in the playhouse, Mayor Gwen O’Looney presented Town & Gown with our very own Key to the City. It hangs proudly in our lobby, along with the many accolades and awards the Players have received from our community over our more than 60 year history.

Town & Gown has performed in the Athens Community Theater since 1969. The building was erected and given to the municipal government by Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Mathis; the architect was Robert Nichols. Although T&G’s 50-60 annual performances alone would qualify it as overworked, the playhouse also doubles as scene shop, costume shop, and materials warehouse.

Arcadia, A Garden

Arcadia is any real or imaginary place offering peace and simplicity; a beautiful and natural landscape. Arcadia is a play by Tom Stoppard and the last production where Marie E. Bruce, Thomas Tanner, and Ben Teague collaborated in December 2008. Our Arcadia is a Memorial Heritage Garden dedicated to their memories by the friends and families of the Town & Gown Players in Athens, Georgia.

The idea began with gifts from people all over the country in memory of our friends to build a garden – a place of reflection and a place for celebrations – in keeping with the individual spirits of Marie, Tom, and Ben. Members of the Town & Gown Players came together to plant three wonderful trees in a ground breaking ceremony on April 24, 2010. More plants and flowers followed using a design created by Chris Adamson, RLA of Southview Design and Consulting. Then in one year the 3-phase plan was completed and the garden was dedicated on April 30, 2011.

Arcadia is a gathering place adjacent to the Athens Community Theater building. The garden has been planted not only with trees but with memories in a location that was previously uncultivated. Now there is a place – a real place offering peace and simplicity – for the entire Athens community.