Our History
Titusville Playhouse, Inc. was established on Aug 29, 1965.
It was created by combining two local theatre groups: The Mask and Hammer Players and the Titusville Little Theatre. These small volunteer theatre groups began performing in 1954 wherever they could set up a stage: the Whispering Hills Country Club, the Titusville Marina, Titusville High School, Florida Wonderland and the Elks Club. They eventually leased an old city garage on Blanton Street, which was little more than a shed. The group opened the popular musical The King and I with a dirt floor, kitchen chairs, a leaky roof and little else.
After the original garage was condemned, the Playhouse purchased an old church building on Dummit Avenue. Using borrowed money and savings, we renovated the building and created a 92 seat theatre producing 5 shows per season. It was opened to the public on May 12, 1972.
One of the highlights in our history occurred in 1981 with the purchase of the old Florida Theatre in the heart of downtown Titusville.
After much fundraising, the Emma Parrish Theatre opened to the public on September 21, 1984. One of the primary donors of the restoration project was J.J. Parrish. He provided a $150,000 donation, and as a tribute, the theatre venue was named after his mother, Emma Parrish. The new theatre produced 6 shows per season and added a children’s theatre program known as the Rising Stars.
Our building was originally built in 1905 as a saloon and hotel.
By the 1910s, it had made improvements and became the Magnolia Hotel and Theatre showing silent films and hosting vaudeville shows. In the 1930s and 1940s, the Magnolia Theatre showed feature movies, and by the late 1950s it had a new owner. It then became the Florida Theatre until it closed in 1972. The building remained empty and fell into disrepair until we purchased it in 1981.
Since 2009, the Playhouse has experienced a rebirth.
After a $1.3 million remodel, and with a new leadership team, we now bring professional quality entertainment to the Space Coast.
In 2021, we set an ambitious goal to become an entertainment hub in Central Florida and purchased 1.9 acres adjacent to the Mainstage theatre. Along with a historic hotel, the new property came with an outdoor area which we have converted into the Shuler Stage.
We are now in the planning stages with Theatre Projects to build 3 new performance venues throughout the new properties and bring our vision of professional entertainment to North Brevard.
