Founded in 1976 by a group of actors, Theatrical Outfit is one of Atlanta’s oldest professional theatre companies. It first opened its doors in a converted laundromat in the Virginia Highland district. During its history, other venues have included a former Kress Store at the site of the current Federal Reserve Bank on Peachtree Street, the 14th Street Playhouse, and The Rialto Center for the Arts at Georgia State University.

In December 2004, Theatrical Outfit moved into The Balzer Theatre at Herren’s, a state-of-the-art, 200-seat venue designed for, owned, and managed by the company. The result of a $5.4 million capital campaign and a complete renovation of the space, this is the country’s first “green” theatre, having attained silver certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Theatrical Outfit focuses on producing classic and contemporary plays, with an emphasis on work indigenous to the culture of the American South. Its representative, eclectic 2009-20010 season included Brownie Points, a comic drama by Atlanta-based playwright Janece Shaffer; The Sunset Limited, a novel in dramatic form by Cormac McCarthy; and the musical revue Blues in the Night. The company offers special performances for school children, theatre tours, and a Readers’ Theatre series.