Sock & Buskin Theatre Company is a brand-new, all-volunteer community theatre company based in the Bellefonte/State College area that seeks to enrich the cultural life of Centre County. Incorporated as a nonprofit organization in May 2022, Sock & Buskin is working to build a community of thespians, artists, and lovers of theatre that is welcoming, inclusive, and vibrant, and which contributes positively to the community.

We plan to stage live theatrical performances open to the public and eventually develop workshops, classes, camps, job shadowing, mentorships, and other educational opportunities for children and adults. Inclusiveness is a core tenet of our philosophy: we invite people with an interest in any aspect of theatre—performance, production, or operations—to take part in our shows and activities, and we will strive to find a place for everyone, regardless of experience level. We believe the theatrical stage can be an exciting crucible for reciprocal learning and inspiration: those who are new can learn from those with experience, but they can also bring fresh perspectives and ideas, and people at all experience levels can discover new talents or interests.

We are keen to collaborate with other organizations to broaden our reach. Our first production, for example, was June 24-25 as part of the Central PA Theatre and Dance Fest, and we participated in that festival’s Starlight Revue variety show. We will also seek to tap into the tremendous talent within our community by staging works by local playwrights: our first production was written by area playwright David Williams, and our next productions, planned for October and December at Titan Hollow in Bellefonte, will be two new murder mysteries written by members of our group.

Through our inclusive, collaborative, community-driven approach, Sock & Buskin seeks to entertain, inspire, and foster a love of the theatrical arts in Centre County. We are excited to be taking our first step toward these goals.