History

RLT has been in continuous operation since 1948 and is the longest-serving community theatre in Montgomery County. Its humble beginnings include producing shows at Christ Episcopal Parish Hall and Broome Junior High School. In September of 1960, the new Rockville Civic Center Auditorium (now the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater) became RLT’s home, and performances have been held there ever since. RLT members were active in the design and technical discussions for the space.

Stuart Rick and Sydney Lauricella-Reed

RLT’s scene shop and storage facility were established in 1972 behind the Civic Center’s Glenview Mansion. In 2000, we moved into larger quarters in the same area. RLT helped to fund the project. RLT joined with Rockville Musical Theatre (RMT) in 1986 to form a consortium to sell season tickets.

More recently, RLT produced “The Spitfire Grill”, our first musical in 40 years, at the Arts Barn. The production closed after four performances due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Since the health crisis prevented the company from completing our 72nd season, RLT has participated in two virtual productions. The first was “Kitchen Sink Drama”, a collaboration with Two Rivers Theatre, a professional theatre company in New Jersey, and performed live via Facebook on June 26, 2020. The second was a production of “Last Call at Chez Mort” for the Community Theatre Thrives telethon held on July 17 & 18, 2020. Over 14 theatre companies in the DC metro area took part and $24,600 was raised. RLT’s commitment to theatre and our community is extraordinarily strong. We look forward to continuing to provide the Rockville community with live theatrical opportunities for many years yet to come.