July 21, 2016

The annual Circle Awards will be held on Sunday, August 21, 2016, at the W.O. Smith Music School. This year's host will be Ed Amatrudo, star of the TV drama series NASHVILLE. Amatrudo plays the role of Glenn Goodman (manager for Juliette Barnes), but he has a strong connection to Circle Players as a past performer and a continued supporter.

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"I'm quite honored to be serving as the MC for this wonderful event," says Amatrudo. "Circle players opened the door for me to return to my first love of acting after a long absence. They provided a safe place for me to regroup and to revive my artistic appetite and to get the creative juices flowing again. As our city has grown, Circle has kept pace, reaching up and out to produce more challenging works which at one time had seemed out of reach for a community theater. Among their most crowning achievements in recent years has been their ability to inspire young actors and technicians into pursuing a career in the theater. One need only look back at the names in the programs to see how many of these Circle alumni are now attending the best theater schools in the country or are already working professionally."

April 11, 2016

We are thrilled to announce the cast of Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID! After 3 nights of auditions by more than 100 performers, the Creative Team made difficult decision for a cast 30 talented local performers. The group includes a mix of veteran Circle artists as well as several newcomers. Performances are set for June 3-19, 2016, at Looby Theater.

March 10, 2016

Mix together a bit of fable, biblical stories, soaringly beautiful music and amazingly talented local performers, and the result is Circle Players’ production of CHILDREN OF EDEN. This epic musical by the award-winning creators of WICKED (Stephen Schwartz) and LES MISĖRABLES (John Caird) continues Circle’s 66th season, with performances March 18-April 3, 2016, at Z. Alexander Looby Theater.

January 4, 2016

Circle Players presents SISTER ACT, the family friendly, outrageously funny musical with nuns that rock! Performances begin January 15th at Tennessee State University Performing Arts Center as part of Circle’s annual collaboration with TSU Theater Program. The five-time TONY Award nominated musical comedy will run for three weeks, closing on January 31, 2016.  Tickets are now on sale online.

November 2, 2015

A heavenly cast of some of the area's most talented musical theatre performers will take the stage in SISTER ACT the Musical. Show dates are January 15-31, 2016, at Tennessee State University Performing Arts Center. Tickets available HERE.

See the complete cast list by clicking the button:

October 12, 2015

The Nashville Scene Magazine votes Circle Players as "Best Community Theater" for 2015. The announcement gives special recognition to Circle's production of RAGTIME the Musical and director Tim Larson. We are honored and grateful to all Artist Members and patrons who support our efforts.

July 7, 2015

Circle Players will honor Artist Members and volunteers of the 65th Season at the annual Circle Awards on Sunday, August 16th at 6 p.m. This year's event will be at the beautiful W.O. Smith Music School. Tickets are $12 if purchased online. Click below to buy tickets and learn about the nominees.

June 4, 2015

Circle Players is excited to announce its 2015-2016 season of performances, which begins in August with the regional premiere of the rock musical American Idiot. It will be the first of 5 productions, one more than last season, as Circle expands its successful relationship with Tennessee State University Theater Program and returns to past venue partner Z. Alexander Looby Theater. The show lineup also includes the dramatic play Of Mice and Men and three more musicals: Sister Act, Children of Eden, and Bonnie and Clyde.

March 10, 2015

A sexy drifter shakes up a Kansas town, particularly its female inhabitants, including a beautiful young girl who yearns for a more exciting life, her plain and bookish sister, and a moralistic but sexually frustrated schoolteacher. PICNIC is a three-act play written by William Inge, winner of a Pulitzer Prize, The Drama Critic Circle Award, The Outer Circle Award and The Theatre Club Award. The play was first performed on Broadway in 1953 and was adapted into a motion picture in 1955, starring William Holden and Kim Novak. Circle Players’ production of PICNIC is directed by Jeffrey Ellis. (Performances March 26-April 4)

(PICNIC is presented is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York.)

January 21, 2015

Circle Players is taking submissions for plays and directors for its 66th season (July 2015-June 2016). The deadline for submissions is February 8th. We are looking for fresh musicals, well-known comedies, shows featuring children, and large-scale dramas. If interested in submitting, you may obtain details by contacting the Play Selection Committee via email at info@circleplayers.net. Additionally, Circle Players aims to include one production each season featuring a primarily youth cast, and such submissions are encouraged.

January 5, 2015

The sweeping musical RAGTIME requires a large cast, strong vocal talent and a creative team willing to tackle the challenges of mounting such an epic stage work for community theatre. Circle Players has all those requirements in its upcoming production, which runs January 15-25, 2015, at Tennessee State University Performing Arts Center.

RAGTIME the Musical highlights Circle’s 65th season of shows and continues its relationship with TSU Theatre Program.

October 2014

Circle Players is honored to be featured in the October 2014 issue of Nashville Arts Magazine. The article and photos commemorate the 65th year of Circle Players, the oldest theatre organization in Nashville. Click the image (left) for an online look.

September 25, 2014

“They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky…” and they’re on stage October 17-26, 2014, to launch Circle Players’ 65th Season of shows. The Addams Family is a new musical comedy and regional theatre premiere that is full of wit and wackiness complimented by a charming and moving musical score. Performances will be at The Fortress of Marathon Village; 1500 Clinton Street in Nashville.

September 8,2014

After sixty-five years, the drama continues for Circle Players! Nashville’s oldest community theatre organization marks a milestone year during its current season that runs through June 2015 with the slogan “Circle Thrives at 65!”

“We’re thrilled about the upcoming season and the opportunity to celebrate 65 years of outstanding performances and community service in the arts,” says Max Desir, President of the Board of Directors.

August 6, 2014

Dreamgirls was the big winner at the 2013-2014 Circle Awards on Sunday, August 3rd. Eleven of the 23 trophies for theatrical excellence went to Dreamgirls, including Best Show, Best Director and Best Featured Actress. The evening event was held outdoors at Amqui Station in Madison, Tennessee. For a list of all the winners, click below.

July 3, 2014

Circle Friends presents the 2013-2014 Circle Awards, Sunday August 3, 2014. The annual event recognizes the work and talents of our Artist Members during the previous season. This year's program will be al fresco at historic Amqui Station, located in Madison behind the Circle Players rehearsal space. (MAP)

Click for details.

May 1, 2014

Circle Players ends its 64th Season of shows with the edgy and socially relevant rock musical bare, A Pop Opera. The show deals with the gamut of issues faced by teens today-- sexuality, drug abuse, bullying, pregnancy and suicide—set in a religious school. For this production, Circle Players partners with Just Us @ Oasis Center, which provides support for high school students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ). Performances will be May 23-June 1, 2014, at Sarratt Cinema on the Vanderbilt University campus.

January 30, 2014

Tonight's performance of DREAMGIRLS at TSU was SO sold out that they had to hold the curtain for 30 minutes to get everyone seated and then still had to turn people away.

That's because this Circle Players production of the popular musical has all the elements of a crowd pleaser - great leads, fun costumes, a super band, lots of choreography, lights and costumes and a cast of 34.

January 29, 2014

 As Act I of Circle Players’ and Tennessee State University’s collaborative staging of “Dreamgirls” wound down at Sunday afternoon’s matinee, the audience’s anticipation of the show-stopping “And I Am Telling You” amped up significantly.

January 24, 2014

Listen to an excerpt from the radio segment featuring Dreamgirls cast members Kelsey Porter (Deena) and Max Desir (Curtis). The interview was done by Fiona Soul and aired during her weekly show "Slow Jams" on 92Q FM (WQQK).

January 3, 2014

Mid-way through its 64th season, Circle Players will offer the flashy and ambitious musical Dreamgirls. The production is in collaboration with Tennessee State University and will be presented at the Cox-Lewis Theater of TSU’s Performing Arts Center. Dreamgirls features an impressive cast of more than 35 performing artists from the Nashville community and students at TSU.

December 24, 2013

Thanks to our patrons, volunteers and Artist Members for a fantastic year! Watch our video recap and get ready for 2014.

November 26, 2013

Circle Players, in partnership with Lipscomb University Department of Theater, announces the cast of SHREK the Musical. The show will be directed by Robyn Berg, with music direction by Randy Craft and choreography by Kari Smith. Performances are March 6-8 and 13-15 at 7:30 pm: March 9 at 3:30 pm; and special school matinees on March 7 & 14 at 9:30 a.m. All shows at Collins Auditorium on the Lipscomb University campus.

November 21, 2013

By Jaz Dorsey

The Actors' Reading Room

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO"S NEST is a work which has always hit home personally for me. I first read Ken Kesey's remarkable novel when I was a patient in a mental institution, where I spent my last three years of high school, 1969 - 1972.

November 6, 2013

The classic drama One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is as powerful today as when the play premiered on Broadway fifty years ago this month. Even though most long-term mental institutions in the U.S. were shut down in the eighties, attitudes about the mentally ill haven’t advanced much, says director Clay Hillwig.

October 29, 2013

After 2 days of intense, competitive auditions by more than fifty talented performers, the directors have selected the cast of Dreamgirls.

Performances are January 23-February 2, 2014, at Tennessee State University Performing Arts Center - Cox Lewis Theater. The show is directed by Josh Waldrep with music direction by Diana Poe and choreography by Ashley Danielle.

CLICK HERE for the cast list.

August 6, 2013

More than 100 guests celebrated Circle Players’ past season (2012-2013) on Sunday, August 4th, during an elegant evening of wine, food, and some amazing performances by artist members. (LINK TO PHOTO GALLERY)

July 1, 2013

Circle Players Unveils 64th Season of Shows.