About Oak Ridge Playhouse Just minutes northwest of Knoxville, Tennessee, Oak Ridge Playhouse is one of the most thriving community theatres in East Tennessee and one of the oldest in the Southeastern United States. In continuous operation since 1943, the Playhouse offers a diverse season of musicals, comedies, dramas, and childen's plays serving audiences from Anderson, Knox, Roane, Blount, Sevier, Morgan, Scott, and Cumberland counties. A primarily volunteer organization, the Playhouse has a full-time paid staff of three but participation in the Playhouse, both onstage and off, is open to the community. Located in Historic Jackson Square, the Playhouse owns it's facility, which includes a 344-seat auditorium, dressing rooms and rehearsal space, a costume rental shop, and office space. Oak Ridge Playhouse is a member of the American Association of Community Theatres, the Arts Council of Oak Ridge, the Arts and Culture Alliance of Greater Knoxville, the Tennessee Theatre Association, and Tennesseans for the Arts. Cynthia Higginbotham, Junior Playhouse Chair Jerry Cunningham, Past President