Spokane Civic Theatre is a nationally recognized non-profit theatre located in Spokane, Washington. Incorporated in 1947, the theatre is one of the oldest community theatres in the country. In recent years, the theatre has been brought to a level of excellence that has resulted in many awards. The theatre's mission is "to foster an enduring love for live theatre in every community member." Civic, as it is fondly called by the surrounding community, sets a high standard for theatre in the Spokane area. General Spokane Civic Theatre is one of few community theatres that owns its own building and land. The building was built in 1967 in the Brutalist style on a $250,000 budget and designed by architect Mortiz Kundig, who referred to the theater job as "a plum of a commission" and the building as "one of my best buildings". The present facility houses two performance spaces: The Margot and Robert Ogden Main Stage Theatre and The Firth J. Chew Studio Theatre. The Main Stage auditorium is a proscenium theatre with a seating capacity of 334, while the Studio theatre is a small, black box theatre seating approximately 85. The seating in the Studio theatre can be moved, which allows specific productions to fill the space in a new way, like the 2011 production of Metamorphoses, which housed a pool. Both stages are wheel-chair accessible, and the Main Stage also provides Sennhiser infra-red assistive listening devices and a Hearing Loop system (installed in 2014) for patrons with hearing disabilities. The backstage area houses a scene shop, sewing room, storage for props, a fully furnished green room, offices and dressing rooms. Children under the age of five, including infants, are not allowed into performances as a courtesy to other patrons. History As one of the oldest community theatres in the country, Spokane Civic Theatre is a point of pride for the city. Incorporated in 1947, performances were held in other facilities at first, including the old Post Theater and, beginning in 1957, the Riverside Playhouse. The present facility was opened in 1967. In 1972, a three story addition was made, adjoining to the backstage area of the main theatre. This space was used for set construction, rehearsals, the costume shop, and offices for the continued upkeep of the theatre. The lower levels of the theatre, previously used as rehearsal space, were converted into a studio theatre in 1979. It was