About
This year marks the 33rd Inman Park Festival Theatre Night, a gala extravaganza fundraiser to showcase and benefit three remarkable performing arts organizations based in the neighborhood.
The Theatre Night tradition began in 1991, when a thriving Inman Park was making plans for its twentieth neighborhood Festival. In the spirit of giving back, the 1991 Festival Chair created “Theatre Al Fresco” to celebrate and raise funds for three outstanding neighborhood theatres: Horizon, 7 Stages, and Actor’s Express.
Horizon, presenting contemporary plays since 1983, and 7 Stages, an innovative theatre for new and existing plays founded in 1979, have remained Theatre Night mainstays from the beginning. In 1995, Actor’s Express moved out of the neighborhood. Dad’s Garage, an improv comedy theatre then new to the neighborhood, moved into their space, and has been energetically entertaining Theatre Night donors alongside Horizon and 7 Stages ever since.
Attendees of Theatre Night enjoy short performances from three theatre companies amid elegant picnics, flowers, and wine provided by the patrons. The event raises funds via table sales and sponsorships as well as a live auction woven into the event. Income from Theatre Night is distributed evenly to the participating theatres.
Funds raised have grown from about $1,000 per theatre in 1991 to over $15,000 per theatre in 2024 – a testament to the Theatre Night Committee’s work and the generosity of Inman Park neighbors and supporters of the arts.
Showcasing these theatres—three sparkling jewels in Inman Park’s crown— and giving them this critical financial support has become an integral way that Festival gives back to our community.
