The Kennett Amateur Theatrical Society, Inc (KATS) was founded in 2001 as a labor of love, literally. Gary and Caroline Smith, transplants from England and their friends Betsy and Steve Warner founded the company to put on a Pantomime in the British style (Panto).

The story goes that Caroline told Gary that if he really loved her, he would write a Panto for her since that is something that she was missing since coming to America. Pantos are traditional holiday fare, presented on professional and community theater stages all over England from late November into early February. British panto is not mime! It is a musical comedy theater tradition usually based on a fairy tale, that incorporates audience interaction, puns, and plot twists as the hero (principal boy, played by a girl/woman) with the help of the dame (typically played by a middle-aged man) and friends attempt to thwart the evil villain and restore harmony and order (and love) to the whole situation.

KATS actors pose with the paper mache mushroom at Third Thursday

That is when the Smiths and the Warners formed the Kennett Amateur Theatrical Society to produce a version of “Dick Whittington and his Cat” at the Kennett High School in January 2002.
KATS has been going strong ever since. January 2026 will to be our 25th show – “Robin Hood and His Merrie Men.”

In the past, KATS has overcome inclement weather: once a blizzard that caused a cancellation of the Kennett High School performances and forced a February relocation and a pared down production, another snow caused the Saturday performances to be shifted to Sunday. We have had illnesses in the cast that caused actor substitutions during the performance run. During covid we presented our first virtual panto, “The Prince and the Carrot”, which can still be viewed on YouTube or via a link on our www.callkats.org website. We were also forced into an alternate site production in 2022 (Kennett High School was not ready for outside groups) with a two week-end run that was interrupted, with the last weekend performance shifted a week due a cast covid outbreak. KATS is now the longest continuosly running Panto theater in the country

Mark your calendars for Friday, January 23 2026 (7:30pm) and Saturday, January 24, 2026 (2:00pm and 7:30pm) for “Robin Hood and His Merrie Men.” Tickets will be available starting in December at www.callkats.org.

KATS actor ready to march in the parade with a banner

Guest Writter: Chris Ramsey