Civic's production of "Forever Plaid" won first place in State and Regional AACT/Fest competition. The "Plaid" company represented Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Ohio at National competition in Memphis, Tennessee. 2000 - The Kalamazoo Civic Players and the Kalamazoo Civic Auditorium merged to form the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre. 2003 - The Civic's production of "Visiting Mr. Green" won first place in AACT/Fest competition and traveled to Wisconsin. 2004 - The Civic celebrated its 75th Anniversary with a Gala Reunion Concert, which featured former volunteers that have gone on to careers in regional theatre, film, and opera as well as on Broadway and television. 2005 – The Carver Center was expanded to include a new costume shop as well as new rehearsal and classroom space. 2005 – The Civic hosted AACTFest 2005, the national theatre festival. Over 500 theatre lovers traveled to Kalamazoo to see community theatre productions, attend workshops and make new friends. 2005 – The Civic launched its Senior Class Reader's Theatre program with a semi-staged production of Ladies of the Corridor. The SCRT is composed of veteran performers (age 50 and older) who perform learned, but not memorized, lines. 2006 – As part of the newly created Artist-in-Residence program, Broadway performers Ron Schwinn, Jerry Dixon, Peg Small and acclaimed author Alma Bond shared their skills and insights with the Civic staff, guest artists and volunteers. They also played an important role in community outreach, teaching classes and leading group discussion. 2007 – The theatre was chosen as the first community theatre in the country to present a pilot production of the Tony Award-winning musical "Avenue Q". Naughty and fun, this provocative show broke all attendance records for the Parish Theatre. About Each year, the Civic season includes both musicals and plays, set in either the Main Stage, or the Parish Theatre. The Civic has been unusual in its ability to maintain both a professional core staff, and a very enthusiastic community involvement. The professional staff has provided a foundation for the consistently high quality of their productions. In addition, there is a great deal of other theatrical activity in the area, leading to the availability of a large number of experienced amateur actors who repeatedly make their appearance on the Civic's stages. The Civic Youth Theatre is also an important group in Kalamazoo County. It does three shows a year. The Civic's Youth Education Program is strong and