The Kalamazoo Civic is the third largest community theater organization in the United States. The Kalamazoo Civic Players was established in 1929. Founders of the theatre included Dorothy Dalton, Norman Carver Sr., Howard Chenery, Ruth Noble, Paul Fuller, Louise Carver, and Jean Huston. In 1929, the Players moved into their permanent home at their present South Street location. Their newly built theatre was state of the art for the time, and with its elegant house and surrounding spaces added greatly to the performances within. Since then, the theater has continued to grow in popularity.

Each year, the Civic season includes both musicals and plays, set in either the Main Stage, or the Parish Theatre. The Civic has been unusual in its ability to maintain both a professional core staff, and a very enthusiastic community involvement. The professional staff has provided a foundation for the consistently high quality of their productions. In addition, there is a great deal of other theatrical activity in the area, leading to the availability of a large number of experienced amateur actors who repeatedly make their appearance on the Civic's stages.

A remarkable feature of the Civic is the Parish theater. This black box type theater complete with a trapdoor and possibly all way around seating is a marvel.

The Civic Youth Theatre is also an important group in Kalamazoo County. It does three shows a year. The Civic's Youth Education Program is strong and offers camps throughout the summer to encourage today's youth to become tomorrows leaders in the arts.