The Celebration Company at the Station Theatre, a non-profit community theater, was founded by Rick Orr in 1972 in an historic passenger-rail station in Urbana, IL. Originally constructed by the Big Four Railroad Company, later called the Peoria and Eastern Railroad and New York Central—in 1889, the line discontinued passenger service to the building in 1957.

Soon after, the structure was purchased by Esther B. Bean, a local resident who began renting the building in 1967. Her first tenants were The Depot, Inc., an experimental arts collective that was founded by University of Illinois English Professor Jim Hurt and his graduate assistant Tom Rickman. They called the building “The Depot” and used the space to print local magazines and present a summer festival that consisted of avant-garde concerts, musicals, and plays.

During its inaugural year, The Celebration Company became co-tenants with The Depot, Inc., collaborating on several theatrical productions. Rick Orr even became a member of The Depot, Inc.’s board of directors, serving as a leader in both organizations. In January 1974, Hurt left the University of Illinois to take a sabbatical in England and Orr took over as the director of the Depot, Inc. board.

In the decades that followed, the Celebration Company at the Station Theatre presented an average of eight productions during its Fall-Spring Season and an additional four or five productions during summer seasons with a volunteer cast, crew, and administration. In addition, the company also produce original plays, including Karma Ibsen-Riley’s Nine Women and Douglas Anderson’s Mistakes I8ve Made.

The Station Theatre’s April 1979 production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar, featured Lee Borden as Jesus, Eileen Hand and Maureen Dodson as Mary Magdalen, Barry Kramer as Pontius Pilate, and Kelly O’Donnell as Judas who sang “Heaven on their Minds” that is sampled below.

Superstar  was one of Celebration Company’s most successful productions that year.  Rick Orr explained to the News-Gazette reviewer, “we’ve had to limit seating to 125 for the play.  It’s our most ambitious, most expensive production to date…The story and dress are of biblical times.  The language and music is contemporary. ”  The review ends with “Rick Orr’s Celebration Company presentation, particularly timely, is a triumph that both church and theater might well praise to the high heavens.”

For further information about the The Celebration Company at the Station Theatre Records contact Scott Schwartz at 217-333-4577 or schwrtzs@illinois.edu. The full collection finding aid can be accessed at Celebration Company.