History :
Begun in 1936, Raleigh Little Theatre is now one of the oldest continuously operating community theatres in the country. We offer entertainment, education and community programs year-round. RLT showcases 11 productions each year, with more than 150 performances. No other theatre in North Carolina produces as many shows.
Raleigh Little Theatre started when a group of Raleigh performers joined forces with technical workers from the Federal Theatre to bring community theatre to Raleigh. Then, civic leader Cantey Venable Sutton pushed through bureaucratic red tape and galvanized the Federal Works Progress Administration construction of our main theatre, amphitheatre and Rose Garden. We are still the beneficiaries of her diligence and passion. In 2000, we named the main theatre in honor of Mrs. Sutton. RLT's annual performance awards, given each June, have been called "Canteys" in her honor for a number of decades.
