RICHMOND, Ind. – After nearly 25 years living in Spain, Kate Jetmore is returning to Richmond to help people connect with theater.

Jetmore was recently named Executive Director of Richmond Civic Theatre, a place that shaped her childhood and helped launch her professional theater career.

The theatre now represents what she believes communities need most, a place where people can belong.

“I care deeply about Richmond,” Jetmore said. “I think that project and that process really showed me even more than I already knew how special this community is.”

Jetmore grew up in Richmond and spent much of her childhood involved in Richmond Civic Theatre and Junior Players, the youth theater program that preceded Stage One Youth Theatre. After graduating from Richmond High School, Jetmore moved to New York City to study theater at New York University.

She later worked in theater professionally, performing in productions across the country before a hiking trip in northern Spain changed the course of her life.

“In 2001, I hiked a trail in northern Spain where I fell in love with my husband and ended up moving to Spain and living there for the next twenty-four years,” she said.

While living abroad, Jetmore shifted away from theater performance and found new creative outlets through voiceovers, dubbing, and translation work connected to Spanish film and television. She also became a coach, a role she continues today.

Her return to Richmond began earlier this year when she came back to be with family.

“I actually came back in March to help my mom, who had surgery, and saw pretty quickly that she was going to need a little bit more help in this next chapter of her life,” Jetmore said. “That feels like a big priority to me.”

While family was one factor in her decision, there’s also a renewed connection to her hometown. For the past three years, she has hosted conversations with Wayne County residents through a podcast produced with Western Wayne News. The project allowed her to learn more about people throughout the county while living thousands of miles away.

“I actually think that project and that process really showed me even more than I already knew, how special this community is,” she said.

Jetmore said Richmond Civic Theatre is one of the institutions that reflects that community spirit. The theater has remained active for decades, supported by generations of volunteers who have continued to maintain the building and create productions.

“It was well established long before my family moved here in 1977. And over the last 50 years, it has just been handed down from generation to generation,” she said.

For Jetmore, RCT’s purpose extends beyond putting on shows.

“Richmond Civic Theatre is a theater,” she said. “It’s dedicated to producing theater for adults and for young people. But more than anything, what it is, is a community hub where people come together with a common objective and drive.”

She said the theater’s continued success comes from giving people a reason to participate.

“You have to give people a reason to show up,” Jetmore said. “And that reason has to be compelling. It has to feel important. And a big part of that is fun.”

The Murray Theatre, home to Richmond Civic Theatre, is another part of that history, Jetmore said. While some historic buildings in Richmond have struggled with deterioration, she said the theater remains active because people continue to care for it.

“What’s incredible about this particular building is that there are people here who are maintaining it and it’s not a shell of what it once was. It’s the latest iteration of what it once was,” she said.

During her first week as executive director, Jetmore saw that commitment firsthand. She arrived at the theater on a Saturday morning and heard music playing. Looking down from her office, she saw a volunteer painting onstage before continuing with her day.

The moment reflected the kind of dedication that has kept Richmond Civic Theatre operating for generations, Jetmore said.

“You could tell she was having fun.”

Much of the work that keeps a theater running happens away from the audience’s view. Volunteers help with costumes, wigs, makeup, lighting, sound, set construction, ticket sales, concessions and other behind-the-scenes responsibilities.

As she transitions into the executive director role, Jetmore said one of her primary goals is strengthening the theater’s financial foundation, while building on the volunteer community already in place.

“The spark and the drive and the life and vibrancy here in the theater is already there,” she said. “At this point, it’s just a matter of making sure there’s enough oxygen, so the flame doesn’t go out.”

Jetmore plans to focus on developing relationships with current donors, seeking additional grants and reaching community members who may not yet know how they can become involved.

Involvement in the theater does not mean performing on stage. Some volunteers help organize archives, take photographs, manage social media, care for costumes or provide support during rehearsals and productions. Jetmore said she hopes people who have never considered themselves “theater people” will still see a place for themselves at Richmond Civic Theatre.

Jetmore believes that sense of belonging is especially important today as many people search for meaningful connections.

“I know isolation is a thing that many people are really struggling with now,” she said. “How can I have real connection with people and not just two-dimensional connection? And it’s happening here.”

Richmond Civic Theatre’s upcoming season includes five main stage productions, beginning with “1776,” which opens Aug. 6. The season will also include “Annie,” “The Smell of the Kill,” “Almost, Maine” and “9 to 5: The Musical.”

Stage One Youth Theatre will present “The Addams Family,” “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” and “James and the Giant Peach.” The season also includes Stage Fright, the theater’s annual Halloween-style fundraiser scheduled for Oct. 24, and Storybook Café, which Jetmore said is expected to return in the spring.

Community members interested in getting involved with Richmond Civic Theatre can contact the theater at 765-962-1816 to speak with Jetmore or leave a message.