Belmont Theatre is a name that refers to at least two distinct theatre organizations: a community theatre in York, Pennsylvania, and an amateur theatre company in Watford, Hertfordshire, England.
The Belmont Theatre (York, Pennsylvania, USA)
The Belmont Theatre, formerly known as York Little Theatre, is a community theatre located at 27 S. Belmont Street in York, Pennsylvania. It was founded on February 5, 1933, as part of the Little Theatre Movement. The organization initially borrowed performance space from the local Women's Club, the York Collegiate Institute, and the local YWCA. Its first full-length performance was Lady Windermere's Fan at the Phineas Davis School Auditorium on December 14, 1933.
The theatre acquired a permanent home at the Elmwood Theatre, a former cinema built in 1949. After a lease-purchase agreement was signed in July 1953, the theatre gained full title to the building in May 1956. A 7,000-square-foot addition was completed in 1997 following a fundraising campaign that raised over $1 million.
The theatre was renamed from York Little Theatre to The Belmont Theatre in mid-2016, taking its name from Belmont Street. According to executive director Lyn Bergdoll, the name change was prompted by a shift in the meaning of "little theatre," which originally connoted "community theatre" but had come to be associated with "children's theatre" or "smaller productions."
Notable alumni include actress Rebecca Wisocky and actor Sam Freed. The theatre's most enduring fundraiser has been an annual food stand at the York Fair, selling steak sandwiches, a tradition started in 1957 by Betty Gerberick.
In early March 2026, Creative York, an arts-supporting nonprofit organization, assumed the theatre's managerial and administrative duties.
Belmont Theatre (Watford, Hertfordshire, UK)
Belmont Theatre is an established, multi-award-winning amateur resident theatre company that typically performs three times a year at The Pump House Theatre in Watford, Hertfordshire. The group rehearses in the Carpenders Park Community Hall. Run entirely by volunteers, the company performs a wide variety of productions including classic dramas, comedies, and thrillers. The company is a member of the National Operatic and Dramatic Association (NODA).
