Virginia Samford Theatre marks 100 years with new National Register designation

The Virginia Samford Theatre (VST) is officially stepping into its second century with a major badge of honor. The historic Birmingham venue celebrated its centennial kickoff Thursday, April 30 by unveiling its newly minted plaque from the National Register of Historic Places.

The morning event was more than just a nod to the past. Surrounded by theater leadership, government officials and a crowd of supporters, the VST also unveiled a new native plants garden dedicated to the McMahon family, marking a literal and figurative milestone of growth.

A new chapter for the stage

The theater used the celebration to highlight an iconic season that bridges the gap between the theater’s history and its future.

Included in the upcoming centennial season is the world premiere of “Growing Up with Atticus.” The play explores the legacy of “To Kill a Mockingbird“ and brings together Mary Badham, who played Scout in the original 1962 film, and Cecilia Peck, the daughter of Gregory Peck.

Former U.S. Senator Doug Jones made a guest appearance to announce “Growing Up with Atticus,” and he touched on why VST matters so much to Birmingham.

“For 100 years, Virginia Samford Theatre has served as a place where stories challenge us and invite us to see the world more clearly. Theater was founded on the belief that art should serve the public good, and that commitment to socially minded storytelling continues today.” 

Sen. Doug Jones

The theater also announced a historic milestone in its programming: for the first time in its 100-year history, the VST will produce an August Wilson play, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” in partnership with the local Encore Theater Company.

Wilson is widely regarded as one of the greatest African American playwrights of the 20th century and is referred to as the “theater’s poet of Black America.”

Honoring Birmingham’s history in the arts

Theater leadership shared VST’s goal to return to its “original intent” as a civic-minded, community-focused space.

“This theater was built in 1927 as part of the Little Theatre movement. It was a specific response to commercialism in theater, but also a response to the lack of civic-minded, community-minded storytelling. 

“It started in the ’20s, but right after that, the Great Depression came along, and I’m learning more and more every day about the history of this theater.”

Philip Mann, VST executive director

In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, the VST (then the Birmingham Little Theatre) was leased to the Federal Theater Project, part of the Works Progress Administration.

As part of the Federal Theater Project, it hosted the Negro Theater Project. The initiative established Black theater units in 23 cities, providing employment for hundreds of African American artists during the Great Depression.

Speakers shared deep connections to the building, including Bill Warren, grandson of the theater’s original architect, who shared stories of his family’s history as child actors at the VST. 

John Nixon Jr. spoke about his father, Dr. John Nixon, a local NAACP head who performed as Othello on the VST stage in the 1960s.

What’s next?

As VST moves into its centennial year, the message from the staff is clear: They are a small but mighty team of just five people with big ambitions to make the theater more inclusive, representative and creative.

Whether you’re there for the history, the world-class performances or to sit in the new native garden, the VST is not just a landmark — it’s a living, breathing part of Birmingham’s future.

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