Our story
A theatre rooted
in Tuskegee.
The official city theatre of Tuskegee.
History, culture,
and a shared stage.
Tuskegee Repertory Theatre, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, tax-exempt organization founded in 1991 by Dyann Robinson.
Our theatre presents dance, music, and drama reflecting the cultural legacy of Black peoples around the world, with a special commitment to African American history and the community of Tuskegee and Macon County, Alabama.
How the theatre began
Dyann Robinson holds a B.A. in Dance from Butler University and an M.F.A. in Drama from the Catholic University of America. Her career includes two decades as a professional dancer and choreographer, performances with dance companies in the United States and with Maurice Béjart’s Ballet of the Twentieth Century in Brussels, and membership in the original Broadway cast of Bubbling Brown Sugar.
She returned home to Tuskegee in 1980 to direct the City’s Department of Cultural Affairs and created the Tuskegee City Dance Theatre. When the City could no longer support the department, she began her tenure teaching dance and theatre at Auburn University.
While at Auburn, Robinson founded Tuskegee Repertory Theatre. She later purchased the former downtown Post Office and named it the Jessie Clinton Arts Centre in memory of her parents. It became the home of TRT. Following her Auburn career, she devoted herself full-time to the theatre.
Our mission
Present our cultural legacy. Create theatre reflecting the history and culture of Black peoples, especially African Americans and the African American community of historic Tuskegee and Macon County.
Develop artists. Provide professional-level training and performance opportunities, particularly for professional and amateur African American artists of all ages in Tuskegee, Macon County, and Alabama.
Enrich our community. Offer cultural enrichment to local audiences and visitors, and help revitalize the community through the tourism that theatre can inspire.
Our goal
To make Tuskegee a mecca for historical Black theatre, alongside its legacy of Black achievement in education, aviation, medicine, sports, music, and politics.