This unique collaboration began in 1979 when the administrations and faculty of Gainesville State College and Brenau University made the bold decision to join their resources to produce one, dynamic theatre program.   

In its 26-year history, The Gainesville Theatre Alliance has had only two Artistic Directors:  Ed Cabell, our founding father who led the organization from 1979-1989; and Jim Hammond, who has ably continued Mr. Cabell's legacy since 1990.  We have grown from four full-time staff and faculty members to ten, and are still growing!

The Gainesville Theatre Allliance is unique for an academic theatre program in that it is also a semi-professional performance company.  Our active Guest Artist program keeps our performance standards high and provides students with dozens of mentors and professional contacts. 

The Gainesville Community formalized their commitment to our theatre when they formed Theatre Wings, a non-profit support organization (in 1981) and the Theatre Wings Endowment Fund, started with an anonymous $50,000 donation, which has grown to more than $400,000.

In 2002, GTA welcomed its sister-theatre, WonderQuest (formerly The Gainesville Childen's Theatre) into the company as its official Theatre for Young Audiences, directed by Gay H. Hammond.

As evidence of its artistic growth, GTA points with pride to numerous world premiers: new and imaginative versions of classics such as DRACULA, SLEEPING BEAUTY, MEDEA, and A SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS, the original, award-winning musical version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, TWO-HEADED WOMAN (sic), a theatrical piece featuring the poetry of black feminist Doris Davenport; THE HEIR TRANSPARENT, ranked 7th out of 650 entries nationwide by the American College Theater Festival; and THE LONG GAME OF PATIENCE, about theatre visionary Edward Gordon Craig, developed by Robin Hale, a member of GTA's professional company for many years.

National recognition came in 1990, when GTA's production of THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL was one of seven selected from a field of 600 for the American College Theater Festival National Showcase at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The Georgia Council for the Arts consistantly ranks the Gainesville Theatre Alliance as one of the best arts organizations in the state.  Brenau University and Gainesville State College was honored again in the year 2000 for "Academic Excellence" from the American Council on Education.