In October 1931, a small group of young adults from Manitowoc announced their intention to form an amateur dramatic society. Fifteen would-be thespians attended the first meeting. The group entitled themselves the Manitowoc Masquers but soon changed this designation to the Lakeshore Masquers upon taking in another group of actors from nearby Two Rivers. Still later, the group was reorganized and incorporated under the name of The Masquers, Inc.

In March of 1944, the Coach House next to the Rahr-West Civic Center was purchased from Mrs. Reinhart Rahr. The building was remodeled to provide storage space for scenery and costumes, a meeting and rehearsal room, and a room for building sets. At that point, The Masquers’ ultimate dream was to remodel the Coach House further to create a 300-seat auditorium. The first play program after the purchase of the Coach House carried the familiar Masquer logo, which we retain today.

The Masquers are now in their 82nd season and finds the group still going strong. We always welcome new members to our organization and would invite anyone over 18 to join The Masquers and become a part of the Manitowoc theatre scene. We hope our next 80 years will be as exciting and fulfilling as the first!