The Vienna Theatre Company has been putting on shows for 55 years, a run that started with a high school drama teacher, a borrowed auditorium, and Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park."
The Town of Vienna marked the milestone on Wednesday, sharing a 1985 production photo of "Godspell" on its official X account and noting the company's five decades of performances at the Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St. SE.
The nonprofit's story begins in 1971, when Norman Chaudet, then the athletic director and director of student activities at James Madison High School, launched the company after students asked to keep performing beyond the school year. In a 2011 profile marking VTC's 40th anniversary, Barbara Chaudet, Norman's widow and a longtime company member, recalled that an arrangement was made with Madison High School to use its auditorium, with the Town of Vienna Department of Parks and Recreation serving as sponsor that first summer.
Early performances took place in the community center gym, with stage lights hung from a steel grid and riser platforms standing in for a proper stage. A dedicated theater was built inside the Vienna Community Center during a mid-1980s expansion, giving VTC a permanent home it still occupies.
Over five decades, the company has earned WATCH and Ruby Griffith awards for productions including "Evita," "Enchanted April," and "Death Trap." VTC stages multiple full-scale productions each year, drawing performers and audiences from Vienna and the broader Northern Virginia region.
The company's 55th season is already underway. Its upcoming slate includes "An Old-Fashioned Family Murder" by Joe DiPietro in October, "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" on Saturday, December 5, and "Southern Hospitality" by Jones Hope Wooten in winter 2027, according to VTC's website. Residents interested in helping choose future shows can attend VTC's "Step Behind the Curtain" Play Selection Social on Friday, August 1, at the community center.
The Vienna Youth Players, a separate youth program under the Town of Vienna Parks and Recreation, is also performing at the community center through Sunday, July 26. Their production of "Guys and Dolls" features performers aged 10 to 18. Remaining shows are at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23; Thursday, July 24; and Friday, July 25, with a closing matinee at 2 p.m. on Sunday, July 26. Tickets are $18 at viennava.gov/theatre or at the door.
Upcoming at the Vienna Community Center:
- Friday, August 1 — VTC Play Selection Social
- October 2026 — "An Old-Fashioned Family Murder" (VTC)
- Saturday, December 5 — "It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play" (VTC)
