Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre

The Tarkington is a fine place to see a show and, from the other reviews appears to be an asset to the community. I can't say it will be memorable as a theater, but it has definite positives.Parking is straightforward and immediately adjacent with stairs and elevators making it easy to get to and from the theater. Staff is friendly and efficient. Everyone was very helpful.The lobby is small, but so is the theater so getting out after the show wasn't too bad. The space could use some decoration as it is pretty utilitarian. Only a large portrait adorns the lobby while the stage was a simple black and cream affair. For a community theater, its a great spot!

Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre is the largest of more than 70 community theatres in Indiana and one of the ten largest of over 7000 active community theatres in the U.S. It is also considered the nation's longest continuously active community theatre. In operation since 1915, Civic Theatre offers 90 performances and 500 opportunities to participate onstage or behind-the-scenes in a professional theatre setting annually. Since its beginning, Civic has had five different homes. In 1915, it started at the Herron Art Institute before moving to the 240-seat Hedback Community Theatre in 1924. In 1973, Civic moved to the 645-seat Showalter Pavilion at IMA before relocating in 2004 to a 490-seat theatre at Marian University. Finally, Civic moved into the Tarkington at the Center for the Performing Arts in 2011. The current theatre has 513 seats. Mainstage productions include everything from musicals to comedies to dramas with an average of 30,000 patrons annually. Education has also always been a strong component of Civic programming with education and outreach programs reaching over 20,000 people each year through classes, workshops, and educational performances for all age groups from toddlers through older adults. As someone who believes strongly in inclusive theatre (I was a drama minor in college myself), Civic does one of the better jobs in Central Indiana of addressing accessibility issues. They are known to offer sensory friendly performances, have offered audio-described performances (and have large print programs), and also offer accessible parking, accessible entrances, and accessible seating that can be reserved. They also offer shows with ASL and Assisted Listening. For those with disabilities, I recommend contacting Civic for more detailed information. I've seldom attended a show here without seeing other wheelchairs or individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. I've never been on-stage at Civic, but I have worked behind the scene in years past. Most recently, I've attended as both an audience member and media member. My experience has been that Civic leans toward more well known, fairly mainstream productions. For example, the 2022-23 season includes The Diary of Anne Frank, The Cat in the Hat, The Sound of Music, and Murder on the Orient Express. Jr. Civic is an amazing opportunity for the kids to get involved. Civic Theatre is definitely one of Central Indiana's longtime stage gems. With an outstanding group of professionals and volunteers, Civic offers consistently high quality performances and a great experience for theatergoers. Located in Carmel, it's an easy drive and a great entertainment in a beautiful setting.

I love the Tarkington! I've been here a few times, and each time has been great. I've only ever seen children's plays and performances -- I've seen plays about Elf and Peanuts and Cat in the Hat, each time with children in tow. The great thing about the Tarkington is that it's big enough to fit lots of people, but it feel intimate. There really isn't a bad seat in the theatre. I saw Cat in the Hat in one of the back rows and was able to see clearly, and I saw Elf in the front middle. It's a different experience depending on where you sit, obviously, but there isn't a bad seat.The Tarkington building is attached to the Center for the Performing Arts parking structure, so you can go straight from the parking area to the Tarkington. You don't have to walk outside through the courtyard, like you do if you're seeing a concert at the Palladium.There's a snack bar / drink bar that's open when the plays are going on. The bathrooms are always clean and open when the building is open, even if there isn't a performance happening.

I won a giveaway to see Matilda the musical shoutout to yelp indy. This was my first time in the civic theater & i loved every minute of it. everyone was so kind, getting my tickets at the box office was super quick & easy. the ushers were very helpful. we got front row seats & that was the best. the show was AMAZING. very heartwarming & super funny. the casting was perfect, the set design was gorgeous!!!this inside of the civic theater is beautiful, very comfy seats & the theater is huge. i grew up a theater kid so getting the opportunity to see this show was great. they have alot of upcoming shows:RENT 10/7-10/22A Christmas Story 12/2-12/24The Diary of Anne Frank 2/10-2/25Murder on The Orient Express 3/10-3/25The Sound of Music 4/28-5/13i can't wait to see the next show at the civic theater!

This afternoon, our family enjoyed the production The Cat In The Hat, during an inclusive viewing time. It was an extremely enjoyable production and quite an enriching experience, for my young granddaughters and teen son alike.It really thrills me that the Civic Theatre offers inclusive performances. These adjusted performances ensure theatre access in a comfortable setting to all members of our community through accommodations for sensory sensitivities, mobility issues, and other special needs. Adaptations include keeping the house lights up, adjusting overwhelming sound effects, adjusting house rules to allow for talking and moving, additional seating options for those with mobility devices, and an American Sign Language interpreter. Some members of our family have sensory struggles or special needs that can make attending the theatre difficult. Having some accommodations was not only helpful for them, but as caregivers, we were also able to enjoy the experience more ourselves and not stress and worry about if some noises or movements happened that we would be judged or asked to leave. The Civic Theatre even created a social story about going to the theatre and seeing The Cat In The Hat and had an Adobe accessible link on their web page to it. It included pictures of the theatre and explained the entire process and experience very well and with great photos. I was really impressed with this and it was extremely helpful. Right before the play began, they talked on stage about what was about to happen. Actors and actresses came out and showed how they transform into character, and I think that was a fantastic way to help ensure no one in the audience became fearful of theatre magic.Because of inclusive shows, I can take my entire family to experience the joy of the arts, together. Finding activities that all of us can enjoy and participate in together as a family can be a challenge and I truly cherish when another experience can be added to our activities to share.

The talent that comes out of this theatre is astounding. The sets and costumes are always wonderful as well and you get beat the booming location in Carmel. I only give it 4 stars because it is a bit too expensive for community theatre.

For the holidays, my family and I purchased tickets to the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre for the adaptation of "A Christmas Story" into an (spoiler alert) absolutely wonderful, musical. Admittedly, I went to the show with a solid bit of doubt at the infamous holiday story actually being able to be adapted to a musical, but I was game for the experience either way.To my giddy surprise, the show itself was quite frankly, spectacular. The musical interpretation was not only well written, but remarkably performed by a team of more than talented, talent. I highly recommend both the Booth Tarkington Civic Theater venue, as well as going to see "A Christmas Story" should you get the chance. Awesome all the way around folks!

Highly highly recommend watching a show at the Civic Theatre. We've watched many shows from Mamma Mia, Much Ado about Nothing, and recently, Elf. Tickets are typically around $30 and you support an all star, crazy talented local theatre/ production. The theatre always puts their own spin on the productions and never disappoints. Great gift idea or date night option!

Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre is such a lovely space! I went for the first time to see a Sunday matinee of Much Ado About Nothing with a friend. There was plenty of parking available on my visit, which was nice. There's a public garage connected to the theatre, as well as street parking (free), and a limited number of theatre parking spots our front (also free, but with time limits on the signs). The exterior of the theatre building had me staring up at it for a long moment. It's beautiful! The inside is as well. The theatre room I was in was pretty large, but still felt really cozy. It's just a really nice space! Much Ado was a wonderful production. They did a great job with one of my favorite Shakespeare plays! We laughed a lot throughout. My first experience here has me looking forward to my next visit to the Civic Theatre! Hopefully it'll be sooner than later.

Enjoyed seeing the musical Rent here. We sat near the front of the stage and on the far left side end seats but still had a full and fantastic view of the entire show due to this theaters design where every seat is a good one. The seats were very comfortable with space between rows so that you aren't on top of the person next or in front of you. Acoustics for the show were great - a clean sound and not too loud. No long lines or waiting for anything at intermission. The concessions had good variety and were well staffed. Multiple wash rooms were nearby and clean.