Performing Arts

Big Time/Small Town Performance Series
Since 1979 AACA has presented 5 performances of touring artists at the Athens Junior High School Auditorium. Season tickets are available for purchase beginning in August of each year and individual tickets are also available. Performances include everything from major orchestras and dance companies, to bluegrass, jazz, and rock legends.

Black Box Concert Series
An additional performance season of more intimate, targeted touring artists has become possible with the opening of the Sue E. Trotter Theater at The Arts Center. This intimate venue featuring up to 150 seats plays host to a variety of musicians and smaller acts from the folk, country, bluegrass, blues and other genres.

Concerts & Special Events
The Arts Center hosts many stand-alone events featuring local musicians, actors, and singer-songwriters. Coffee house concerts are popular, as well as cabaret style shows such as Jazzy Little Christmas and Our Three Tenors. The Sue E. Trotter Theater is often the venue for small productions from Tennessee Wesleyan College and performances by area choral groups such as the Athens Area Community Chorus and Monroe Area Opera.

Athens Community Theater (ACT)
ACT is the resident theater company of The Arts Center. Established in 1980, it is the oldest community theater operating in the tri-county area. ACT produces 2 plays and 1 musical each year in the Sue E. Trotter Theater at The Arts Center. Other programs include monthly play reading gatherings and staged readings. Participants are all volunteer.

Evening with the Stars
Evening with the Stars is a yearly opportunity for area artists to audition and perform in a showcase of community talent. Athens Community Theater members facilitate the performances by holding rehearsals and providing technical and moral support.