John Rambo, managing director of Hickory Community Theatre, said the nonprofit was chosen as this year’s recipient of the Business Well Crafted Award and highlighted the organization’s history and community role.

Founded from a group of local actors who began reading plays, the theatre launched fuller productions and its first full season in October 1949, Rambo said. He credited then-recreation director Kaye Johnson with organizing the group into formal productions and said the organization now operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Rambo said the company produces nine shows each season, staging six on its main stage, the Jeffers Theatre, and the remainder in a downstairs cabaret space called the Fireman’s Kitchen. "We produce 9 shows a season," he said. He added that productions typically run Friday through Sunday with some Thursday evening performances.

The theatre is housed in a building that served as City Hall from 1921 until 1976, a history Rambo cited as part of the venue’s local significance. He also described the organization’s promotional approach: "We've actually adopted that tagline from the city for some of our promotional materials," he said, referring to the "Well Crafted" brand that the theatre uses in marketing.

Rambo emphasized the volunteer nature of the company: "All of our actors and performers are volunteers," he said, and estimated that "thousands of people come here every year" to see shows. The transcript does not specify the year the award was bestowed or a precise annual attendance figure.

Rambo, who said he has worked at the theatre since 2005 and serves on its administrative side handling business operations, public relations and community programming, said the mix of local talent and longstanding community support drives the theatre’s output and outreach.

The theatre said it will continue its current season and regular performance schedule; no additional administrative changes or new funding sources were announced in the remarks recorded in the transcript.