About Us

Professional theatre. All the time.

The Roxy Story

Roxy Regional Theatre marqueeSince the early 1900s, the corner of Franklin and First has been the cornerstone of local entertainment. The Lillian, built in 1913, was the first movie theatre in Clarksville. Following a fire in 1914, the Lillian was rebuilt in 1915 and saw thousands of patrons enjoying silent pictures. The theatre went “dark” during the Great Depression, but with the advent of Fort Campbell, the Lillian was renamed the Roxy. Following a second fire in 1945, the Roxy was completely rebuilt and became the new Roxy Theatre. A sleek exterior, featuring a new lighting called neon, beaconed movie-goers from miles around. Opening in 1947, The Roxy entertained Clarksvillians with first-run movies until 1980.

The Roxy sat vacant for three years until November 3, 1983, when the Roxy Regional Theatre was reborn into a live theatre and quickly became “…the cornerstone of downtown re-development.”

In 1995, a professional company was created in order to supply the great demand for Shakespeare, other classics, school curriculum-based productions and holiday shows, and to enlarge the Roxy’s outreach services to the community. The Roxy Regional School of the Arts was also born in 1995, offering teens extensive training in modern theatre as well as being able to work alongside professionals. The summer offers a joint project between the Roxy and the Clarksville-Montgomery County Parks and Recreation Department, offering teens a six-week drama camp for a nominal fee.

Senior matinees, pay-what-you-can previews, fundraisers for special interest groups, over 500 mainstage productions since 1983, outstanding alternative theatre in “theotherspace” a 50-seat black-box theatre located in the balcony, annual attendance by over 70,000, 12 local art exhibitions annually, award-winning music videos, numerous national and regional commercials …

The Roxy Regional Theatre. Professional Theatre. All the Time.

OUR MISSION

The Roxy Regional Theatre attracts, motivates, entertains and challenges audiences with theatrical productions ranging from the classics to new works. Furthermore, it trains and supports the next generation of theatre artists; provides educational programming, and promotes a wide range of learning to a diverse community. The Roxy Regional Theatre celebrates the importance and the impact theatre has on the citizens of Clarksville-Montgomery County and Middle Tennessee.

EQUITY, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION and ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT

EDIA statement

We understand that the foundation of a vibrant, thriving arts and performance venue is the cross-pollination of creative and diverse programming, the cultivation of inclusive practices and strategies, and the development of a diverse team of employees and volunteers who share in these values. We believe that engaging in the arts is essential to the human experience. We at Roxy Productions, Inc. stand strongly for improving equity, diversity, and inclusion for our entire community.

EQUITY

We recognize that not everyone starts at the same place, addressing inequities in access and opportunity, and allowing for full and fair participation.

DIVERSITY

We acknowledge and respect human qualities that are different from our own and outside the groups we are a part of or with which we are associated. These qualities includes but are not limited to: ethnicity, race, color, country of origin, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual or relationship orientation, family structure, religion, beliefs, political affiliations, experiences and ability differences.

INCLUSION

We honor and accept the gifts, backgrounds, experiences, and wisdom that every individual brings with them, so that every stakeholder feels valued. Our stakeholders are staff, artists, students, board members, donors, audiences and community members. We will strive to create a culture of inclusion where individuals can thrive, succeed, are able to participate in, and contribute to the progress and success of the arts, while growing both professionally and personally.

We recognize and value individual differences, and we acknowledge structural and systemic racism and other access barriers that prevent full and fair participation of people outside the dominant culture and power dynamics. We acknowledge the complexities of becoming a fully inclusive and anti-racist organization, and we accept the challenge to build an organization where full and fair participation is the norm. We commit to providing fair treatment, access, opportunity and advancement, and to creating space for culturally diverse voices to be heard and power to be shared.

LEADERSHIP MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Click images to view bios

EMILY RUCK

Artistic Director / Acting Managing Director

KENNETH L. WATERS, JR.

Production Stage Manager

RYAN BELL

Technical Director

DAVID GRAHAM

Production Associate

EMMA KRONE

Production Associate

KATIE KENNEDY

Office Manager

ALEXANDRIA SMITH

Box Office Assistant

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

JOINT APPOINTMENT
Kurt Kowalski, Chair

CITY OF CLARKSVILLE APPOINTMENT
Melissa Schaffner, Vice Chair / Secretary
Nancy Ladd, Treasurer
Charlie Foust
Andrea Herrera
Rich Holladay

ROXY REGIONAL THEATRE APPOINTMENT
Joseph Britton
Jason Knight
Jennifer Scribner
David Shelton
Linda Shephard

EX-OFFICIO / ROXY AMBASSADORS
Nancye Britton
Laurie Matta
Mayor Joe Pitts
Councilperson Joe Shakeenab

Monthly meetings of the Roxy Regional Theatre Board of Directors are typically held at 6:00 pm on the third Monday of the month at Edward’s Steakhouse at 107 Franklin Street.