Anne and Carl Nusbaum had creosote at their feet but greasepaint in their veins when they founded the theater in 1975. After two years of performances at the Carefree Inn, DFT moved into a 200-seat tent that volunteers assembled at various donated locations throughout Cave Creek and Carefree.

The tent was Spartan, but the productions were elaborate. With only fourteen volunteers, DFT erected the tent and created the magical worlds of The King and I, Music Man, Oliver, Man of La Mancha and My Fair Lady.

“When I think back on how we managed these immense productions, in a tent, with volunteers.” Anne Nusbaum laughs, “How did we do it? We did it with very talented people who created something from nothing.”

Performances weren’t just for the locals, “Cowboys would come down from the ranches in Tonto National Forest for the shows, cowboy hats and boots, all gussied up.”

The theater left its spotlight in the ocotillo and relocated to Pierre’s Playhouse in Cave Creek after a terrific storm flattened the tent. When the playhouse burned to the ground, performances moved to The Festival Amphitheater at el Pedregal and, in 1989, to the current venue at Cactus Shadows Fine Arts Center. In 1996, DFT became part of the Foothills Community Foundation’s Cultural Division.

Desert Foothills Theater meets the challenge of presenting a variety of musicals, comedies, dramas and original works to discerning audiences while providing workshops, youth programs, and teen scholarships. “It’s equally important to provide opportunities to work with professional artists and give our communities shows of high standards,” says Todd G. Ortone, DFT Managing Artistic Director.