In the fall of 1913, fifteen young men formed "The Auburn Footlights," which would go on to be named AU Players in 1919 when the first women were permitted to join the organization. Over the following years, the Players maintained a strong presence on campus, creating and performing in various locations on campus including the Attic Theatre in Samford Hall, the Chapel (also called the Y-Hut and Players Theatre), and Langdon Hall, before landing in the newly constructed Telfair B. Peet Theatre complex in 1973, which is still home to the Department of Theatre today.
The demand for Theatre soon outgrew the AU Players drama club. On the journey to finding a permanent home, theatre as a degree offering moved through the departments of English and Speech and the School of Architecture and Fine Arts. Theatre found its current place in the newly formed College of Liberal Arts in 1987 and remains a proud purveyor of the College’s mission, which “encourages civic engagement, emphasizes global perspectives, promotes diversity, and prioritizes public outreach.”
The 2013-2014 Season of Auburn University Theatre marked 100 years of theatre on the Auburn University's campus. The still active and engaged AU Players hosted a 100-year celebration looking back on milestones of the AU Theatre journey and bringing together players past and present. Today, AU Theatre students, faculty, and staff honor the longstanding tradition of theatre at Auburn by carrying forward a steadfast mission that connects people, ideas, and art on campus, in the community, and beyond.