Founded in 1962 by Bo Thorp, the Cape Fear Regional Theatre began its story as the Fayetteville Little Theatre. With a small group of local actors, Thorp organized the theatre’s inaugural season of just two shows performed at public venues. Everything from props to lights was borrowed. From these humble beginnings, the troupe soon grew in recognition and renown and, in 1963, purchased an old movie theatre to establish a permanent artistic home. The theatre changed its name to Cape Fear ... Read More
Founded in 1962 by Bo Thorp, the Cape Fear Regional Theatre began its story as the Fayetteville Little Theatre. With a small group of local actors, Thorp organized the theatre’s inaugural season of just two shows performed at public venues. Everything from props to lights was borrowed. From these humble beginnings, the troupe soon grew in recognition and renown and, in 1963, purchased an old movie theatre to establish a permanent artistic home. The theatre changed its name to Cape Fear Regional Theatre in 1986.
Now in its 58th season, CFRT is known as one of the finest theatres in North Carolina and serves 50,000 people each year. The theatre owns its three-story complex with a 300-seat mainstage, in-house scenic and costume shops, studio annex, and administrative offices.
CFRT’s artistic programming is driven by its core values of excellence, inclusion, innovation, and artistic risk. Over the course of each six-show mainstage season, CFRT contracts actors, writers, and designers from across the country – and challenges these artists to push the boundaries of their creativity and learn from their mistakes. The theatre has become a launch pad for early career artists who go on to National Tours and Broadway stages and an artistic home for seasoned veterans. The stories told onstage at CFRT frequently reflect diverse perspectives and represent those populations in cast, crew, and audience. Many productions attract up to 80% diverse ticket buyers.
In addition to its productions, CFRT is dedicated to enriching the lives of the community it serves through educational and public programs. CFRT provides theatre education opportunities at low- or no-cost, including studio classes, camps, student matinees, and CFRTeen touring productions. CFRT has greatly expanded accessibility for differently-abled persons, offering audio description and the Sensory Friendly Performance Initiative. The theatre has also received state-level recognition for its outreach onto Fort Bragg by serving 3,500 active duty military, veterans, and their families through discounts and the Passport Theatre Classes program.
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