Spanish Trail Playhouse

The Spanish Trail Playhouse is a community theatre located in Chipley, Florida. The Playhouse was founded in 1962, but its first run ended in 1968. The Playhouse was re-chartered in 2007 and has performed a total of eleven consecutive seasons to date. The Spanish Trail Playhouse is a non-profit organization, with all of its staff operating as volunteers.

The Spanish Trail Playhouse started in 1962. It began under the leadership of Ann Jensen, Howard Pelham, Mickey Balaban, and Ralph Nolan, who had a dream of bringing live theatre into the little town of Chipley Florida. The first Executive Committee for the playhouse consisted of Ann Jensen as Chairman, Robbie Stanton as Secretary/ Treasurer, and directors Mickey Balaban, Leon Rice, and Bob Goss. The group decided upon three plays per year and on September 7, 1962 the Spanish Trail Playhouse opened its curtains for the first time with “Southern Exposure”, a 1950’s romantic comedy, under the Direction of Mickey Balaban. The second show was “New Moon”, a musical by Sigmund Romberg, under the direction of Ralph Nolan followed by the final show for the first season, “Dial M For Murder”. The Playhouse was really beginning to make an impression on the local community and opened its second season in 1963 with the musical, “Picnic” and “Sabrina Fair”, directed by Mickey Balaban, and the musical, Carousel completed the Playhouse’s second season. The Florida Arts Council recognized, following two successful seasons, the Spanish Trail Playhouse in 1964 as a Charter Member, a position they would hold for the next four years.

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