The Artistic Civic Theatre (ACT) in Dalton, Georgia, is a non-profit community theater serving Northwest Georgia.
Founding and Early Years
• Founders: The theater was established in the early 1990s (with roots or incorporation tracing through the 1980s/1990s) by Rick and Sandy Martin.
• First Director: Wes Phinney (now heading Dalton High School’s theater department) served as ACT’s first director at age 29, balancing artistic vision with commercial appeal to ensure audiences filled the seats.
• The “Blizzard of ’93”: Weeks before the opening night of The Music Man, Dalton was hit by the historic Blizzard of ’93. Rick Martin and a small crew camped out at the trade center to finish the sets, and the paint was barely dry by curtain-up.
Review: Artistic Civic Theatre is a Class ACT
ACT feels like home for actors and audiences of all ages Published 2:00 pm Thursday, November 26, 2020 By Ryan Anderson Artistic Civic TheatreFront row, from left, Jennifer Phinney, Sandy Martin and Rick Martin; middle, from left, Wes Phinney and Heather Burton; and back row, from left, Kate Phinney, Meg Phinney and Sydney Holloway gathered […]
