Our History

In the summer of 1986 Alexander City Arts, Inc., funded a musical production of “Oklahoma.” It was a huge success, filling the local community college auditorium for three performances. On April 19, 1988, some members of Alexander City Arts, as well as others in the community, met, elected a president, formed committees and set out to present plays. These amateur actors performed four plays annually for 10 years. They were known as the Lakeside Players.

But when the city’s largest employer moved to Atlanta, cutting more than 6,000 jobs in a city of 15,000, the Lakeside Players faded in the subsequent economic downturn.

Renewed interest in 2015 reorganized the Lakeside Players as Alexander City Theatre II, Inc. (ACT II). As a not-for-profit organization focused on showcasing local talent, the organizational structure of ACT II allowed the group certain freedoms that had not been available to the Lakeside Players, including the ability to:

apply for grants

fundraise

found a community chorus

Early on, the group sought a permanent home in downtown Alexander City. They found one suitable building – the Bama Theater, owned by the City of Alexander City – but at the time, the old movie house was under lease as a gymnastics center. As it happened, a month or so later, the facility became available.

ACT II immediately presented to the city council its vision for the theatre. The theatre company proposed a long-term lease for the property, and council members agreed, entering into an agreement in April of 2016.

The City Council of the City of Alexander City at the April 3, 2017 meeting unanimously approved the naming of the facility to the “Alexander City Theatre II Fine Arts Center”.

At the same time, we understood and appreciated the need to recognize the historical value of the “Bama Theatre”. The historical value of the “Bama Theatre” will be fully represented in the mezzanine of the Alexander City Theatre II Fine Arts Center.