St. Dunstan's Theatre Guild of Cranbrook is an independent, non-profit organization committed to producing quality theatre in our community. Not coincidentally, we're named for St. Dunstan, patron saint of the arts - a legacy carried on through the loyal support of our members and audiences. Every member of St. Dunstan's is a volunteer. Onstage and off, we all share a love of theatre and a commitment to our "home away from home." We're also dedicated to the community and donate a portion of our proceeds each year to support three Cranbrook scholarships.
Our indoor theatre, the Pavilion, was originally built as an open air shelter to the outdoor Greek Theatre. Ultimately, the Pavilion was transformed into a more practical building. The work was designed and supervised by Eliel Saarinen, who created world-renowned architecture throughout the Cranbrook Community. In 1932, St. Dunstan's was granted use of the Pavilion as our permanent home, where we have proudly performed for 76 years. Doing much of the work ourselves, St. Dunstan's has turned this once-empty building into a working theatre and home to one of the premiere amateur theatres in southeast Michigan. We were voted the "Best Theatre Group" in Click on Detroit's "'4 the Best" poll and were voted "Best Community Theatre" in Hour Detroit magazine's "Best of Detroit 2000" poll.
The Cranbrook Greek Theatre was built in 1916 and is one of only a handful of such theatres in the country. It was designed by Detroit-based architect, Marcus Burrowes, who was also responsible for the plans of some of Cranbrook's original buildings. The first production featured a troupe of 132 actors - including silent film star, Constance Binney. With typical open-air theatre irony, the inaugural performance was rained out, soaking an audience of Detroit luminaries (including Henry Ford). St. Dunstan's often presents its June production in the Greek Theatre and during the summer, the space is used by Cranbrook Summer Theatre School.
Saint Dunstan's Theatre Guild Of Cranbrook is not affiliated with AmericanTowns Media
