The theater was created in 1961, and for its first season performed three nineteenth century plays on a budget of 3,500 dollars.[5] The venue was originally a "1872 Gothic Revival Style" Baptist Church,[4] whose congregation had consolidated with others in town and no longer used the building. Two families, the Lawrences and the Argubrights co-owned the building and offered to let it be used as a theater. Henry Swanson, a professor at Columbia College was the first artistic director. In 1993, the theatre underwent a renovation project to expand the capacity of the venue.[6] In 2004, the theater's dormitory was damaged by a fire. The community provided housing for the cast for the following three seasons.[6] In 2019, the theatre was the first in the state to receive the “Missouri Historical Theatre” designation.[7] The theatre celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2021.
