History

With its first dinner theatre production, "The Fantastics" (Spring 2000), performed at the Perinton Community Center in Fairport, NY, ETC was launched, using cast and crew members from throughout the greater Rochester area.

Perinton Recreation and Parks sponsored our first show by supplying rehearsal and performance space as well as advertising and ticketing.

We continued with three more dinner theatre productions, "Nunsense" (Fall 2000), "Once Upon a Mattress" (Spring 2001) and "Nunsense 2" (Fall 2001) at the Perinton Community Center. We also produced a summer show "Little Shop of Horrors" (Summer 2001) staged at Bishop Kearney High School. Two performances of "Nunsense" were performed as part of the new Amphitheatre at Center Park Gala Opening Celebration. We then staged "1776" (Spring 2002) at The German House. Following that was "Damn Yankees" (Summer 2002) and "Company" (Fall 2002).

After our second show, ETC became incorporated as a not-for-profit organization. We are now financially independent from Perinton Recreation and Parks.

We found that we quickly were outgrowing the facility at Perinton and sought a venue that would bring us a more centralized and accessible location. We moved to the Historic German House, 315 Gregory St., in Rochester's South Wedge neighborhood. And again, we outgrew that venue. After a stint at Bishop Kearney High School at in Irondequoit, we later moved to the Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Brighton, where most of our shows are now performed.

Our board members share a common philosophy: we see a community theatre that unites as it delights and educates as it entertains.