We have great news on the progress of a new CCT building!

CCT has been awarded a $35,000 award to help fund the construction of a new theatre from the State of South Carolina Competitive Community Grants Committee.

Here is a recap of our fund raising to date.

• $15,000 in general fund raising from our patrons and contributions from play production profits
• $15,000 from our Auction fund raiser - special thanks to Linda Marsh and Joan Marco who's tireless effort made this event a success. Included in this amount was a $1600 matching grant from Thrivent submitted by Joan Marco.
• $35,000 State of South Carolina Competitive Grants award - thank you Bud Lewandowski

So, we are $65,000 on our way to making a dream come true - a new CCT performing Arts Center

Of course lets keep in mind these generous "in-kind" donations to date

• $275,000 land donation by Ken & Jondy Loveless (estimate)
• $20,000 in engineering services by Dennis Corporation (estimates to date)
• $20,000 in architectural services by Architectural Concepts (estimates to date)

Thank you to everyone who supported these efforts - especially the CCT Board members and families.

CCT Now owns 2 acres of land on US 76 - Chapin Road - donated by Ken and Jondy Loveless

In the late 70’s, John Sellers, Director of the Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission, put together a group of people to "use that wonderful theatre we have." So a group of 6 or 7 folks found a director and picked a show and put on a play. " It was an old comedy," Sidney Hallman said. "I can’t even remember the name." Ms. Hallman, who has since moved to Beaufort, was one of the original founding members of the Chapin Community Theatre. "We went to the University and borrowed some flats to build sets. We didn't even know how to make them stand up with out falling over." Bob Gardner, also one of the orginal members of the theatre, recalls the first play as being You Can't Take It With You. "We grabbed any warm body and made an actor out of them. The crowd loved it and we had a ball."

In the early days, only one show was performed each year over one weekend. Today, 4 or 5 shows are performed a year (including a children’s show) and they each run over three weekends. Shows as simple as "The Gift of the Magi" and as complicated and demanding as "Damn Yankees" are now performed on the Chapin stage. According to many of the locals, "We are the best kept secret in the Midlands Theatre."

Here is just a partial list of people who have helped make theatre a part of Chapin for over 25 years:

Linda Durant Jim DeFelice Craig DeFelice Heather Stamper Tracy Steele Larry Hembree Katy Wilcox Ray Brush Susan Brush Jane Brush Esther Dennis Dedra Daniels-Mount Jimmy Mount Rick Rusaw Houston McMillion Randy Hanna Melinda Collins Valdina Hall Romell Dash Cathy Carter-Scott

Val Zaba Perry Simpson Dale Bass Deborah Leopard Robert Hooker Rebecca Tolley Mona Lisa Botts Brandon Botts Glenn Farr Allison McNeely Julie Painter Marty King Hilda Beaver Rhonda Neff John Fowler Christopher Chandler Kathyrn Seppamaki Nancy Brooks Jennifer Roberts Joan Marco

Dan Greshal Jantzen Blackmon Angela Goodnough Michael Linhardt Chris Robeson Steve Sabo Jessica Hayes Jim Parham Maria Falgione Karrie Beeman Scott Blanks Dave Reed Bob Gardner Greg Weigold Megan Shealy Tim Weigold Ben Weigold