OUR HISTORY

We’re Parkway Playhouse, a historic theatre that’s been a part of the incredible Burnsville, NC community for 77 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 2024 season, we’re proud to be producing 5 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 second year!

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.