Just a few miles southwest of Boston’s bustling Theatre District, the Footlight Club in Jamaica Plain is a hidden gem. Founded in 1877 by a small group of wealthy socialites, it is the oldest continuously running community theater in the nation. The no-frills operation, which on Saturday will open a seven-show performance of “Clybourne Park,” has served as a proving ground for countless local performers, from Harvard students to a future pop star.

Eliot Hall is not immediately recognizable. The green, Greek Revival-style building with red trim looks much like the other homes that line the quiet, residential street. If not for the vinyl banner hanging in the entryway of the two-story structure, you’d probably miss it entirely.


For the hundreds of actors who have found their way onto its small, second-floor stage over the years, the Footlight Club stands as a local institution — if not always an obvious one.

The cast of Footlight Club from left Chris Erath (cq), Renee Singletary, Tim Joseph and Bill Stambaugh rehearsed their seven-show performance of "Clybourne Park," Erin Clark/Globe Staff

Carol Gallagher, 56, might be more identifiable by her maiden name — McIntyre. Her family has dedicated their lives to the arts, including her younger brother, Joey, best known as a member of New Kids on the Block.

It was their mother, Katherine, however, who introduced them to performing, and more importantly, the Footlight Club. The McIntyres grew up four blocks away on Orchard Street, and Katherine, a stay-at-home mom, walked past Eliot Hall frequently — though it wasn’t until a friend told her about the Footlight Club, and encouraged her to audition for a show, that Katherine realized the little building was, in fact, a theater.

“The Footlight Club is situated in a neighborhood, so my mom walked by [Eliot Hall] and never knew what it was,” said Gallagher.

This isn’t exactly surprising — until Paul Campbell arrived at the theater in 1982, the history of the space had gone largely unknown, even by the various members that had come through.


“Everybody knew that the Footlight Club was America’s oldest [continuously-running] community theater, and nobody knew anything else about its origins,” said Campbell, 68, the club’s self-appointed historian. “There were photographs in the front hallway of people now long gone, [and] nobody knew who they were.”

Since his arrival, Campbell has worked diligently to ensure that the theater’s rich history is preserved.

Costumer designer Molly McGowan organized the costume closet. Erin Clark/Globe Staff

Spurred by a love of history, Campbell began collecting old programs and documents that the club still had scattered around — his home is filled with piles of documents, books, and artifacts, some of which he keeps stuffed in Tupperware containers. Later, he found books of board meeting minutes dating back to the 1920s. He even took a few trips to Houghton Library at Harvard University, where a collection for the Footlight Club was set up after its 100th anniversary.

Today, Campbell, who could speak for hours about history if no one interrupted him, packs an arsenal of knowledge on even the most obscure theater facts. He can tell you, for instance, what the theater’s first ever performance was (Victorien Sardou’s “A Scrap of Paper,” on Feb. 9, 1877), when the club began doing curtain calls (the 1950s), and why female performers once had to be cautious not to set their Edwardian dresses ablaze (Eliot Hall used gas stage lights during the 1900s).


Although it can be tedious work, Campbell doesn’t tire easily. He spent 16 years on the board of directors, served four years as president, edited the newsletter for 14 years, and directed shows for 14 consecutive years. He saw his first Footlight Club performance in 1981 — “The Royal Family” — and, in 1982, he took the stage for the first time, playing Juror #4 in a production of “12 Angry Men.”

“Sheer obstinacy has kept me here,” Campbell joked.

Over the years, the club’s stage has been graced by a slew of noteworthy performers. Robert C. Benchley — a successful writer and filmmaker of the early 1900s and also the grandfather of “Jaws” writer Peter Benchley — is mentioned on an old cast list. One of the theater’s founders, Thomas B. Ticknor, is the son of William Ticknor, a publisher who worked with authors such as Mark Twain, Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Charles Dickens.

Footlight Club cast member Tim Joseph read his lines while backstage. Erin Clark/Globe Staff

More recently, Joey McIntyre starred in productions of “Oliver” and “The Music Man” when he was a child.

“I like to play six degrees of separation with the Footlight Club,” Campbell said. “We can connect to anybody anywhere certainly within six degrees, if not less.”

Although Campbell has mainly worked alone, his passion for history has begun rubbing off on the younger generations.

Jennifer Bean, who is currently cast as both Bev and Kathy in “Clybourne Park,” has proven a quick learner — occasionally able to recall some historical facts that even Campbell can’t remember.


Knowing the history "does add a certain note of pride when I talk about the theater,” Bean said. “I get to be a small part of a theater’s long history, and that’s pretty cool.”

Currently, the theater survives largely on donations. The Footlight Club does not have an annual budget — Michael Colford, the promotions director of the theater, said that each show is budgeted individually, based on how many tickets they anticipate selling. However, because this is based on estimates, donations remain vital for making sure each show is properly funded.

A playbook rested on the counter of the Footlight Club. Erin Clark/Globe Staff

The McIntyre family has been particularly generous. For nearly 20 years, Gallagher has produced her own Christmas fund-raiser — “A Carol Christmas” — with all of the money raised from ticket sales and donations going directly to the Eliot Hall Restoration Fund.

“The Footlight Club has brought so much joy to my family,” said Gallagher, who over the years has raised more than $300,000 for the theater. “So no matter what we do with the theater, we try to give back.”

The theater, which seats 240, is in need of a bit of updating. The seats currently sit on platforms that date to the 1800s, and there are some foundation issues with the building that need addressing. Later this year, the club plans to add an outdoor ramp and install an elevator or wheelchair lift system.

Still, for those who have stepped foot on Eliot Hall’s historic stage, the Footlight Club remains a cherished space.


“I have a million memories from the Footlight Club,” Gallagher said. “It speaks to the dedication of the members that we have continued to run for almost 150 years.

“It’s a special place.”

This story was produced in collaboration with the Northeastern University School of Journalism.