From the beginning, the auditorium at Platteville's Municipal Building was an important part of the city. The theatre was included in the original building when city hall was constructed in the 1930s. It was the site of staged community events, high school plays and graduation ceremonies Community theatre groups operated in the 40s and 50s, gradually dying out in the 60s. A few children's plays were presented in the 1960s.
 
The current group, Platteville Community Theatre (or PCT), began in 1980 when there was a movement to convert all of the city hall theater area into office and storage space. Robert Schlicher, who had moved to Platteville from Beaver Darn, suggested that Platteville develop a similar community theatre group to utilize the stage at the Platteville Municipal Building with its historical ties to the city. The company originally started as a group of ten, known as the Platteville Community Players (or PCP). They opened the organization up to a general dues‑paying membership with an executive board acting as the governing body.
 
The Jean Kerr comedy Mary, Mary was the first play produced in the auditorium by the PCP/PCT. Business and local theatre groups made many generous donations to get the company going.
 
Currently, the association is a loosely organized group of people united to present approximately two shows a year. The board has been eliminated and the membership elects a president, secretary and treasurer. There are no dues.
 
Due to limited resources (funds and time) the PCP/PCT generally restrict themselves to two plays per year (spring and fall). Even so, over the course of time the PCP/PCT have performed comedies, tragedies and farces, have experimented with original compositions, children's shows, free summer skits, readers' theater, musicals, play competitions and dinner theaters.
 
Platteville Community Theatre was invited to join forces with the UW‑P Pioneer Players when the Center for the Arts was dedicated in 1983. The PCT have united twice with them, performing The Lark and A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley.
 
The Graham Fund financed the PCT's most recent AACT‑Fest venture (Who Said Life Was Fair?) and two of the four children's programs (Little Red Riding Hood and Dracula), much to the delight of the children involved.
 
In the spring of 1993, PCT took part in the AACT‑Fest for the first time. AACT‑Fest is an International festival begun by Princess Grace and Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1957 to acclaim amateur theatre groups throughout the world. The festival is a means to educate, celebrate and evaluate amateur companies. In the United States there are state, regional and national competitions every two years to determine who will represent the United States in the International Festival held in Monaco every four years.
 
The Platteville troupe was the smallest company in the 1993 Wisconsin festival, but PCT's production of Sam Shepard's Fool For Love pulled off an upset and won the state competition. Platteville represented Wisconsin at the regional competition held in Oshkosh where they received an award for lights and sound, and Mike Willis won an acting award. Dick Davies, who had never directed prior to joining PCT, was the director.
 
In the spring of 1995, Mike Willis created Who Said Life Was Fair? for the competition. Enroute to shepherding Platteville to its second straight win in the Wisconsin state AACT‑Fest competition (which hadn't been done since Fond du Lac won in 1971 and 1973) Willis won a directing award, PCT again represented Wisconsin at the regional competition, where they garnered respect and third place among stiff competition.
 
Platteville has continued with its tradition of alternating types of plays. The two most recent presentations, the redneck farce Greater Tuna and the intense moral drama Agnes of God; typify this heritage.