page_title: Naples Players
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Naples Players / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo taken of the first cast of the Naples Players inaugural production of "I Remember Mama". March 20, 1953.
context_page_description: The Naples Players is a nationally recognized community theatre company located in Naples, Florida. The company was founded on January 19, 1953 and performs in the Sugden Community Theatre at 701 5th Avenue South in downtown Naples. It has been named the "Best Live Theatre" in Southwest Florida fifteen times by the readers poll of The Naples Daily News.
context_section_description: The Naples Players Organization was founded on January 19, 1953. Its first production, I Remember Mama by John Van Druten, was staged in the auditorium of what is now Gulfview Middle School the night of March 20, 1953. The company staged its first musical, HMS Pinafore in 1958. The group performed where it could in its first 22 years of existence in the Naples area, from local schools and storefronts to homes. In 1975, they established a home base for the next decade when a 40-seat playhouse was opened at 2363 Davis Boulevard.  In 1985, TNP converted the now demolished Kon-Tiki movie theatre on Goodlette-Frank Road. 
  As the years passed, both the membership and audience for the company grew. However, as TNP entered its fourth decade of existence in the mid-1990s, the Kon-Tiki Playhouse began to suffer from a crumbling facade and mechanical breakdowns, and it soon became clear that a new location was necessary. Following an unprecedented fund raising campaign, and a partnership with City of Naples in choosing a suitable location, over $6 million was raised to build the Sugden Community Theatre in downtown Naples on a site provided by the City, which was completed in 1998. The Sugden Theatre sits only two blocks south of Gulfview Middle School, where TNP staged its first production in 1953. Today, the company stages productions year-round, has a dues paying membership of 500 plus, and features the talents of volunteer actors, directors, designers and crew drawn from across Southwest Florida. The Theatre currently plays to an audience of over 65,000 patrons and season subscription holders annually.
caption: Cast of "I Remember Mama" March 20, 1953
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