Established by a group that has formed in 1953 in aims to promote the culture in the city of Anchorage, the Anchorage Community Theatre was put up by three of the most prominent arts community characters in the city, Mary Hale, Frank Brink, and Lorene Harrison. The theatre was created to provide a training ground for performers of all ages.

The early years of the Anchorage Community Theatre ushered in the golden age of the amateur theatre in the state of Alaska. It produced various performances some of which were even starred by popular figures like Lee Sullivan, Boris Karloff, and Will Rogers, Jr. Karloff fell in love with the local scene that he even donated his professional fees to the theatre industry of Anchorage. This helped the Anchorage Community Theatre establish its own home later on.