Established in 2013, Taos Onstage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community theatre made possible solely through the efforts of volunteers.

Mission

  • Present quality plays that are relevant to the community.

  • Foster, promote, and increase the public knowledge and appreciation of live theatre.

  • Encourage community members to participate as actors, production staff, volunteers, sponsors, or audience members.

  • Provide mentorships in theatre arts for high school and college students through internships and hands-on acting experience.

Board Members

Charlotte Keefe - President

Judy Kasper - Vice President

Ana Chavez - Secretary

Blair Jackson - Treasurer

Rich Greywolf - Board Member

André Callot - Board Member

Christina Madsen - Board Member

ADMINISTRATION

Pam Morris

History

Taos Onstage began in the summer of 2013 as the dream and brainchild of three women: Dianne Davis, Susan Lewis and Charlotte Keefe. They saw that while Taos was a town immersed in the arts, there was a lack of accessible live community theatre. They decided to do something about it.

Their first ambitious undertaking was to produce a holiday play staged as an old-time radio show that December. They approached Taos Mesa Brewing and asked Dan Irion, "Can we do It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play on your stage?" Dan enthusiastically agreed and suggested doing a dinner theatre. This great partnership was a holiday tradition for a number of years. Taos Onstage continued the holiday show tradition in 2020 via zoom due to Covid-19 and then in 2021 at the Taos Community Auditorium utilizing the TCA’s Covid-19 safety guidelines.

It's a Wonderful Life was so well received that these women knew they were on to something. With the support and encouragement of the community, they agreed to make it formal and start a community theatre group with the objective of presenting quality plays that are relevant to the community.

But what to call the new group? After months of deliberating and hundreds of ideas thrown out the window, they finally settled on 'Taos Onstage.' Now it was official, and they were committed … Taos Onstage was going to put on some shows. The group's main mission was and still is to embrace the creativity and talent of local amateur actors and volunteers and give back to the community.

Over the next several years Taos Onstage was a vagabond production company. Performance venues included the Mural Room at the Old County Courthouse on the Taos Plaza, Metta Theatre, and the Hopi Dining Room at Kachina Lodge. Finally, in 2018 the group decided to take a leap of faith — and a significant financial risk — by renting part of Cantu Plaza as its new home. Thanks to the generous monetary, physical, and moral support of Taos community members the Taos Onstage Theatre was a huge success.