About Us
The Forum Theatre Company
The Forum Theatre Company, Inc. is a fully professional, not-for-profit theatre celebrating its thirteenth season in Wichita, Kansas. Performing at the Wilke Center, a small intimate, senior-friendly theatre space located at 330 N. Broadway.
The mission of The Forum Theatre Company is to produce and present programs in the performing arts that will entertain, educate, and enrich the lives of the citizens of the greater Wichita community. The Forum Theatre Company will achieve its mission by 1) producing an innovative theatre season comprised of classic, contemporary, and newly developed musicals, dramas and comedies; and 2) educating artist and audience through a varied offering of performing arts classes, master classes, seminars and interactive lectures. The Forum utilizes the talents of professional theatre artists to ensure that quality and aesthetic goals are met with each production.
Our History
The Forum Theatre Company began in 2011 at The Forum Theatre building originally located at 147 S. Hillside. Owned by Grant and Janet Rine, the church building was beautifully renovated to create a performing art center. The inaugural production was A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum with Tony nominated and Oliver Award winning actor, Karla Burns in the lead comic role. The dream was short lived as the owners sold the building in 2014. The Forum, as a for-profit-business, was disbanded.
A group of actors, not wanting The Forum to end, reorganized as a Not-For-Profit 501(c)3 under the Board Presidency of Paul Jackson with artistic direction by Producing Artistic Director of Kathryn Page Hauptman and Associate Producer Aaron Profit. From 2014 to 2016, it leased space at the Scottish Rite Center.
In the Fall of 2016, The Forum Theatre Company moved to the Wilke Center at First United Methodist Church, a former gymnasium transformed into an intimate, full equipped black box space. The move was a positive step for The Forum, launching a new era of professionalism and a renewed focus on innovation and quality. With the production of The Royale in 2018, The Forum again took another step forward, focusing on developing a fully professional theatre that was Equitable, Diverse and Inclusive incorporating a culturally diverse group of artists in all facets of the theatre management and performance.
Key Inspiration