Marietta Theatre Company's last listed show of 2026 was All Shook Up: The Elvis Presley Musical, which ran August 13 through 22. In January, the City of Marietta listed the company as performing in residence at Theatre in the Square, 11 Whitlock Avenue. Its next full production will be somewhere else. On September 29, Cobb County announced that MTC will present its entire 2027 season at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre through a new partnership with Cobb PARKS. The first show there is expected to open in February 2027.
With MTC's musicals moving to the Jennie, Marietta's live stage splits between two places. The small rooms on the Square keep the cabaret, the radio plays and the holiday revues. The 606-seat house at the Cobb Civic Center takes full-scale productions with orchestras and big casts. You can already see that split in the calendar from now through December.
What the move changes for an MTC ticket holder
MTC is a volunteer-led nonprofit founded in 2017. According to the county, it has produced its musicals at two venues on Marietta Square for nearly 10 years without a permanent home. The move to the Jennie changes several practical things at once:
- Address. The Jennie T. Anderson Theatre is at 548 South Marietta Parkway SE, inside the Cobb Civic Center complex next to Hudgins Hall.
- Size. The auditorium has 606 seats, which Cobb's announcement describes as nearly three times MTC's most recent seating capacity.
- Stage and equipment. The county lists a proscenium stage, professional-quality technical equipment and concessions.
- Parking. The theater has its own parking lot. None of the announcements say whether it is free, so check before your first show.
- Timing. The 2027 season has four shows. The first is expected in February.
The official reason for the move is capacity: a larger stage for Broadway-style musicals and room for more people. The Marietta Daily Journal and East Cobb News both reported the same reason. In Cobb's announcement, co-founder and board president Katrina Stroup put it this way: "Marietta Theatre Company has never been defined by a particular building. It's defined by the people who come together for each production."
Money matters here too. The company says ticket sales cover less than half of its operating costs. When ticket revenue covers less than half the budget, nearly tripling the number of seats does more than make room for a bigger cast.
Three rooms, two hubs
Marietta's stage calendar now centers on three rooms:
| Venue | Address | What the record shows |
|---|---|---|
| Earl Smith Strand Theatre | 117 North Park Square | 530 permanent seats in the main auditorium |
| Theatre in the Square, Emil Theatre | 11 Whitlock Avenue | Run by Marietta's Theatre in the Square, founded 2015 |
| Jennie T. Anderson Theatre | 548 South Marietta Parkway SE | 606 seats, proscenium stage, dedicated lot |
The Strand and the Jennie are fairly close in seat count. What sets them apart is how they're programmed. The Strand books something almost every night: cabaret, film screenings, tribute concerts and a few multi-week productions. The Jennie has a different job. Cobb describes its programming as theater camps, workshops, concerts, seasonal events, plays, dance and recitals. That's the profile of a house built for productions with long rehearsal periods and big casts, and MTC's musicals belong in that group. Cobb PARKS has also said the partnership will bring more of its own programming to the Jennie.
The winter calendar already runs on the split
MTC has not announced a fall or holiday production for 2026. That leaves the next 10 weeks to the other venues, and the split between the Square and the Jennie shows up right away.
On the Square
The Strand's calendar leans on short runs and one-night bookings.
| Dates | Show |
|---|---|
| Oct. 17–18 | Strand Ole Opry: We Will Always Love Dolly |
| Oct. 22–31 | Halloween films and cabaret, including Rocky Horror and Hocus Pocus |
| Nov. 6–22 | It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play |
| Dec. 11–21 | A Christmas Tradition |
| Dec. 23 | Holiday Strand Ole Opry: A Country Christmas |
| Dec. 31 | Queen concert |
The Strand's event listings don't show ticket prices, so you'll need to check the price for each show.
At 11 Whitlock, the Tix listing for Theatre in the Square shows a full holiday run:
- Gift of the Magi 2.0, November 20 through December 6, $24.50 to $53.25 with fees
- Stepp Stewart's Motown Christmas, December 17 through 22, $24.50 to $47.50 with fees
- A Sage Christmas Musical Revue, December 26 through 30, $24.50 to $64.75 with fees
The dates for A Sage Christmas conflict. The theater's auditions page lists performance weekends from December 4 through 21, but the Tix listing shows December 26 through 30. Confirm the dates with the box office before you plan a family night around them.
At the Jennie
The Jennie's winter calendar belongs to large productions:
- Georgia Ballet's Firebird & Carmen, October 22 through 25, with live orchestra accompaniment. The October 22 show at 7 p.m. is a sensory-friendly performance.
- Nashville Noel: A Country Christmas Spectacular, Sunday, December 13, 3 to 5 p.m.
- Georgia Ballet's The Nutcracker, December 17 through 23. December 17 at 7 p.m. is sensory-friendly. The other performances are December 18 at 7:30 p.m., December 19 at 2 and 7:30 p.m., December 20 at 3 p.m., and December 22 and 23 at 3 p.m.
The city's March season release gave wider date ranges for both ballets. The performance dates above come from Georgia Ballet's own event pages, which are more specific. That release also listed season subscriptions for all three productions at $80 to $136. Georgia Ballet's performance pages don't show single-ticket prices.
On the Square, Motown Christmas opens at 11 Whitlock on December 17, the same night The Nutcracker opens at the Jennie. The two venues are booking the same week, and each is doing the kind of show it was built for.
Between now and February
The next date for MTC is Thursday, October 15, at 7:30 p.m. That's the company's Greatest Hits & 2027 Season Reveal Showcase at the Jennie. It runs about 90 minutes, admission is free, donations are welcome, and reservations are required through MariettaTheatre.com. The four 2027 titles will be announced that night. MTC's season page says details will be posted after the showcase.
The showcase also gives you an easy first visit to the new venue. You can find the Civic Center lot, see the sightlines from the 606 seats and check the concessions on a free night, months before you buy tickets for February. MTC was named the 2026 Best of Cobb winner for Live Theatre, and its 2027 season will be its first in a room built for shows its size.
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