Our Mission

Our mission is to strengthen our local community by using the performing arts to uplift and unite our neighbors and inspire new ways of looking at the world. As a teaching theater we educate young and potential theater professionals and provide a gathering space for our community as a whole. We aim to inspire, educate and entertain in all that we do.

Our History

We’re Parkway Playhouse, a historic theatre that’s been a part of the incredible Burnsville, NC community for 76 years! We were originally established in 1947 by Dr. William Raymond Taylor, a professor of drama at Woman’s College of Greensboro, North Carolina (now UNCG). Parkway Playhouse once operated as a summer stock venue and a sponsored extension of the drama departments at UNCG and the University of Miami. In the 1990s the Parkway Playhouse became an independent theater company.

Today

Today, Parkway Playhouse can still be found nestled in the gorgeous Appalachian Mountains where we still produce mainstage productions in the summer and also offer theatre education opportunities year-round. In our 2023 season, we’re proud to be producing 4 mainstage productions, hosting a handful of summer camps, teaching conservatory classes, performing Reading is Alive around WNC, AND producing our Appalachian Playwriting Festival for the first year!

Past Productions

Do you see a production that’s missing or have photos and stories to contribute? We’re continuously working to build our archives! Please reach out to [email protected].

1960

Gazebo
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Finian’s Rainbow
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1963

Visit To A Small Planet
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1965

The Miracle Worker
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Happy Time
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2001

Private Lives
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2004

The Woman in Black
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2005

The Exact Center of the Universe
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Arsenic & Old Lace
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Grace & Glorie
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My Way
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Oliver
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2006

Comedy of Errors
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Lend Me a Tenor
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The Odd Couple
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The Music Man
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Smoke on the Mountain
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Our Town
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2007

Earnest
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Fiddler on the Roof
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Nunsense
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My Fair Lady
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Look Homeward Angel
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2008

Much Ado About Nothing
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Sherlock Holmes
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2009

Married Alive
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Oklahoma
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Moonlight & Magnolias
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2010

Annie
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The Ballad of Tom Dooley
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Guys & Dolls
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Leaving Iowa
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Pride & Prejudice
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2011

1776
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Along About Sundown
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Seussical
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An Uncivil Union
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Robin Hood
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2012

Mama Won’t Fly
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Romeo and Juliet
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Outlander
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2013

A Few Good Men
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A Christmas Carol
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2014

Forever Plaid
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Ghost Riders
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The King & I
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
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It’s a Wonderful Life: Live Radio Play
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Treasure Island
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Walking Across Egypt
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2015

Arcadia
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All Shook Up
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The Quiltmaker
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Esley: The Life & Musical Legacy of Lesley Riddle
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Red
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The Glass Menagerie
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Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree
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2016

The Ballad of Frankie Silver
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Little Shop of Horrors
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You Can’t Take it With you
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Grease
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The Great Gatsby
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Steel Magnolias
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2017

The 39 Steps
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Bonnie & Clyde
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The Mousetrap
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Footloose
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The Fox on the Fairway
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On Golden Pond
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2018

Blithe Spirit
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Boeing Boeing
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Dial M for Murder
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The Rented Christmas
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Godspell
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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] 2018
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Oliver!
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2019

The Humans
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The Sweet Delilah Swim Club (formerly The Dixie Swim Club)
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Dark of the Moon
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Amelie
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Along About Sundown
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A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
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2021

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
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A Good Day
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Date Unknown

The Sound of Music
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The Corn is Green
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