Connie Mockenhaupt and Mike Jimena founded the theatre as Stage 9 Theatre in 2006 with an opening performance of "Tell Me On A Sunday" on November 3, 2006. In 2007, Allen Schmeltz became an Artistic Associate and helped establish the Family Series and the Stage 9 Educational component. Highlights of the year included numerous Elly nominations and awards including one for Best Overall Production. In 2008, we established The Theatre Production & Technical Academy as a 501c3 Non-Profit.
Connie, Mike, and Allen continued on into new roles to manage the day-to-day business and artistic operations: Connie (CEO/Artistic Director), Mike (CFO/Managing Director), and Allen (Artistic Associate). In 2010, Sutter Street and Historic Folsom, as they were completing their restoration and redevelopment of the Historic District, renamed the theatre, Sutter Street Theatre. In its seventeen-year history, Sutter Street Theatre has produced over 480 productions. These have ranged from full musicals such as "Newsies", "Pippin", "Into the Woods", "Cabaret", "The Producers", "Young Frankenstein", "Guys and Dolls", "Spamalot", "Anything Goes", "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", "In the Heights" and "Little Shop of Horrors"; to classic comedies, dramas, and mysteries such as "The Sunshine Boys", "The Odd Couple", "Harvey", "Bus Stop", "The Miracle Worker", "And Then There Were None", "Wait Until Dark", "Our Town", "Arsenic and Old Lace", "The Unexpected Guest", and "You Can't Take It With You". We have also written and produced several original scripts, including "Holiday In the Hills" and "Folsom's Gold".
The Family Series has presented shows such as "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe", "The Little Mermaid Jr.", Matilda Jr.", Peter Pan Jr", "Pinocchio", "Sarah Plain and Tall", "Alice in Wonderland", "Secret Garden", "Annie Jr.", "Treasure Island", "Quiltmaker's Gift", "The Hobbit", "Jack and the Beanstalk", and "Anne of Green Gables". Family Series shows are also offered to local schools for field trip opportunities.
Although the pandemic forced the postponement and cancelation of productions, Sutter Street Theatre used innovative means to continue providing entertainment and education using unique outdoor performance venues. The annual production of "Holiday in the Hills" was presented outside on Sutter Street for free and the theater space was transformed into a Winter Wonderland and art gallery for holiday photo opportunities. Youth workshops were conducted outdoors or online. Classes were scaled back to comply with social distancing regulations. Thanks to generous donations from the public and several grants, Sutter Street Theatre was able to keep its doors open.
Sutter Street Theatre continues to receive local, regional, and national recognition with awards such as a Cultural Arts Award from the City of Folsom, over 400 Sacramento Regional Theatre Alliance (SARTA) Elly nominations for Excellence in Theatre, including several for Best Overall Production. Artistic Director Connie Mockenhaupt, Artistic Associate Allen Schmeltz, and Costumer Eileen Beaver have received Lifetime Achievement Awards from SARTA. Sutter Street Theatre continues to receive grants from the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission, the California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.