Fort Campbell, KY, children's theatre

The Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Children's Theatre was established in 1970 as a branch of Fort Campbell Community Theatre, part of the Fort Campbell Morale Welfare Music & Theatre Program. Fort Campbell, Kentucky, is located on the border between Tennessee and Kentucky. Its post office is in Kentucky. The neighboring communities are Clarksville in Tennessee and Oak Grove and Hopkinsville in Kentucky.

The Fort Campbell Children's Theatre was established in 1970 as part of the Morale Welfare Music and Theatre program. It resided in a World War II building on Indiana Avenue for several years until the building was required for other military purposes. After that, plays were held in the Soldier Show Center, also on Indiana Avenue, as well as the Cabaret Dinner Theatre. The Cabaret Dinner Theatre was first located on Indiana Avenue, and later moved to a larger facility which had been the former recreation hall of the old hospital. The Halloween and Christmas plays were usually held in the larger facility due to their popularity and the additional events held in conjunction with these programs, such as costume contests and visits from Santa.

The cast and crew of the plays were children who lived on Fort Campbell and in the surrounding areas. Most were Army family members, although residents of the community were also welcome. Rehearsals and performances were held after school, usually beginning at 4 p.m., and performances were also held at 2 p.m. on weekends. The directors were staff members of the Music and Theatre program, as well as some guest directors.

The head of the Music & Theatre Program at Fort Campbell was Lionel Austell, the Post Entertainment Director, who established the Music & Theatre program in 1967. Robert L. Taylor, a theatre specialist who had previously worked as a director at the Nashville Children's Theatre, organized the Children's Theatre program shortly after joining the staff at Fort Campbell. Taylor also directed plays for adults, which were presented in the Soldier Show Center and in the Cabaret Dinner Theatre.

The Children's Theatre was active for nearly 16 years, until the dissolution of the Music & Theatre program in 1986. Many of the plays were original adaptations of stories and fairy tales in the public domain, and some were totally original. After the initial launch, Heide Hepler, who was music specialist with the Music & Theatre program, shared management of the Children's Theatre with Taylor. Approximately 8-10 children's plays were presented annually.

Billy St. John, a theatre specialist and a published author of plays, gave technical support with set design, costuming, lighting and other advice regarding the Children's Theatre. St. John's duties were primarily in the adult productions of the Soldier Show Center and the Cabaret Dinner Theatre; although an important element of the Children's Theatre, he was not one of the regular directors.

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