Theatre History

Kentucky Repertory Theatre at Horse Cave was founded in 1976 through the vision of Horse Cave residents who identified a need to bring both cultural and economic growth to the area. The curtain rose for the first performance on June 10, 1977 with Warren Hammack leading as Artistic Director of what was then known as Horse Cave Theatre. For 27 seasons the Theatre has maintained and strengthened its purpose to provide quality, professional theatre, particularly for the citizens of Kentucky, by presenting a repertory of work drawn from the very best of our diverse culture's theatrical heritage.
In addition to being one of the few remaining rotating repertory theatres in the country, KRT is an important facilitator of cultural growth in the region. This is achieved by providing a wide variety of educational opportunities and making live theatre experiences accessible to everyone in the region and beyond. In 2002, Warren Hammack retired after guiding Horse Cave Theatre for 25 years. He was succeeded by Robert Brock.

Kentucky Repertory Theatre is located in the City of Horse Cave, population 2,252 in Hart County, Kentucky, population 17,445, a rural area in the cave region of Southern Kentucky. In 2003 Horse Cave and Hart County were added into the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), meeting ARC's criteria for classification as economically distressed. In spite of this, the Theatre's presence for 27 years has enabled Horse Cave, which is currently in the process of significant downtown revitalization, to retain its identity. In addition to being added to the National Register of Historic Places, the city is a member of the Kentucky Main Street Program established to generate renewed confidence in downtown areas through an improved image and to create new job opportunities through the attraction of new businesses and strengthened service/retain markets. In addition, Horse Cave was recognized as one of eleven Kentucky cities to receive the 2002 Enterprise Cities Award for its Heritage Festival Project. Awarded by the Kentucky League of Cities and Lane Report, it recognized cities that demonstrate entrepreneurship, innovation, and excellence in local governance.

The structure that houses Kentucky Repertory Theatre was renovated for the first season in 1977 to accommodate a 346-seat auditorium featuring a modern thrust stage. At the same time, a structure designed to resemble a tobacco-curing barn indigenous to the area was built to provide space for the lobby and dressing rooms. A $1.3 million Addition and Renovation project, completed in 1993, reshaped two turn-of-the century buildings into one theatre-producing facility. The 1998 purchase of a residential building adjacent to the Theatre and a commercial warehouse property less than one block away provided space for the Theatre's administrative offices and a home for the Scene and Properties Shops. The improvements have enabled the Theatre to produce its programs more efficiently and to expand its production season and educational offerings through the winter months.

In 1997, local attorney Robert Hensley donated the historic Horse Cave State Bank building to Kentucky Repertory Theatre. Employing a City Block Development Grant and a Renaissance on Main grant , the Theatre rennovated the structure, with the primary objective of creating a home for KRT's newly incorporated education program, the Kentucky Theratre for Youth. In addition, KRT included office and meeting space on the ground floor and five units of company housing on the second floor. The estimated cost of rehabilitation was $ 650,000. The building covers 2,688 square feet on the first floor and the same amount on the second floor. The building was fully completed in 2007.