The
Vagabond Players
In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized
themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of
places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in
the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist
community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first
summer season of plays in a 150 year old grist mill they converted into
The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer,
they returned in 1941. |
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Lake Summit Playhouse
After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized, came back to the region and opened
a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during
the post war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger
and permanent home. |
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THE Birth of Flat Rock Playhouse
In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors, made
an offer to buy an 8 acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made
the Vagabonds “locals”and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock
Playhouse. |
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The
State Theater of North Carolina
As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse
and in 1961, by a Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse
was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as
a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now an eight month season of plays
including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. |
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The
Playhouse Today
The Playhouse’s dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing
education in the performing arts includes a ten-show professional series; a summer
and fall college apprentice and intern program; performances and cabaret series
by the YouTheatre; year-round classes and workshops for students from kindergarten
through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 90,000 patrons annually and
is a major contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina. |
| 1936 |
Robroy Farquhar forms The Vagabond Players, play-reading group in NYC |
| 1939 |
The Vagabond Players perform at Bedford Springs, Pa for the summer; Robroy travels to Miami, FL in the fall and begins teaching drama at private school. Here he learns of the location of Hendersonville & Flat Rock, NC. |
| 1940 |
Robroy travels to Hendersonville, NC. Inquires about locals interest in summer performances and finds the “Old Mill” on the edge of Highland Lake Camp. The Old Mill Playhouse opens for the 1940 summer season. |
| 1941 |
A second successful season at Old Mill Playhouse and
the Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce thanks Robroy and
the Vagabonds for their contributions to the community.
Robroy is drafted, Playhouse plans are on hold through
WWII. |
| 1946 |
The Vagabonds come back to Hendersonville and take up residence in nearby Tuxedo at an old school that Mrs. John A Law had converted into a theatre for The Carolina Players of Chapel Hill. In June the Lake Summit Playhouse opens for a season of 10 plays in 10 weeks. |
| 1948 |
Leona Fraki joins the company as housemother and food manager; Robroy & Leona marry in September. |
| 1951 |
Spring – Ruth Conrad agrees to lease Rockworth (the home built by Richard I’on Lowndes, Jr. now known as the Lowndes House) to the Vagabond Players. This will be the last summer at the Lake Summit Playhouse. |
| 1952 |
 The Vagabonds move back to Flat Rock and Flat Rock Playhouse
is born under a rented big top. The Vagabond School of
the Drama incorporates. |
| 1956 |
Ruth Conrad agrees to sell Rockworth and the land. The Vagabonds launch the “Raise The Roof” Campaign and purchase the property they still call home. |
| 1959 |
North Carolina General Assembly passes a resolution recognizing
Flat Rock Playhouse as the Western North Carolina Theatre |
| 1961 |
North Carolina General Assembly designates Flat Rock Playhouse as The State Theatre of North Carolina. |
| 1962 |
 Norman Corwin writes The World of Carl Sandburg and FRP stages the first production with Mr. Sandburg’s
approval, later the play tours with Bette Davis then moves
to Broadway. The Carl Sandburg National Historic Site is
located across the street from the Playhouse. |
| 1970 |
 FRP’s first production of Look Homeward, Angel (runs annually until 1979). |
| 1972 |
FRP Premieres Opal by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright John Patrick. |
| 1975 |
Vagabond Players perform The World Of Carl Sandburg, An Afternoon with Mr. Lincoln, Rootabaga Stories at the Carl Sandburg National Historic Site. |
| 1980 |
Robin R. Farquhar joins the staff as Managing Director. |
| 1983 |
 Robroy Farquhar, Founding Artistic Director
February 15, 1911 - October 5, 1983 |
| 1986 |
First season of 10 plays in 11 weeks. |
| 1987 |
1776 is staged as the first large scale musical in FRP’s history and the season extends to Labor Day. |
| 1991 |
Burt Reynolds opens his one man show with an engagement at FRP and directs Eleemosynary starring June Havoc & Elizabeth Ashley. |
| 1992 |
FRP premieres 4 new plays: Gilligan’s Island: The Musical, Smoke & Mirrors, When Pigs Fly, and Lucky Guy. |
| 1993 |
Project Playhouse (Show for Schools) begins with a September production, The Glass Menagerie. The Children’s Theatre becomes The Theatre for Young People. Slip stages are installed and the Albert S. Gooch, Jr. Scenic Studio is constructed. |
| 1994 |
Forever Plaid is the first “Colors Season” production staged in October. |
| 1998 |
Leona Fraki Farquhar, Co-Founder
July 23, 1920 - June 8, 1998 |
| 2000 |
First Holiday Season: Sanders Family Christmas is staged in November and A Christmas Carol is staged in December |
| 2002 |
50th Anniversary Season |
| 2003 |
Singin’ In The Rain is staged complete with rain showers – breaks all Box Office records to date. A new housing facility for Guest Artist is constructed. |
| 2004 |
FRP is the first professional/regional company to stage Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. |
| 2005 |
The Theatre for Young People is officially renamed as the YouTheatre. 1776, FRP’s first musical production returns after 19 years. Children of Eden is staged prior to the first national tour. 
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| 2006 |
Over 90,000 audience members were entertained during the 2006 season. The first ever Capital Campaign to raise 2.3 million was launched to build a new YouTheatre Education Center |
| 2007 |
The Robin R. Farquhar YouTheatre Education Center opened for its innaugural session of classes in September. |
