The Albert Lea Community Theatre celebrates its 50-year anniversary on Sept. 18 and 19 with a Golden Gala event at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center in downtown Albert Lea.

The weekend will include stage shows each night at 7 p.m. The Friday show will honor ACT’s history and the hundreds of volunteers with musical tributes, video interviews and a look back at the formative days of ACT. Saturday’s show called “ACT on Stage” will feature 18 musicians and singers performing highlights of ACT productions from the past 50 years.

Tickets for each event are $20 or $30 for the two-show series package. Each evening will also include refreshments and tours of the theatre. Golden Gala tickets can be purchased at actonbroadway.com, the Albert Lea Convention and Visitors Bureau,  call 1-877-730-3144, or at the box office, which is open from 4 to 6 p.m. every Thursday.

ACT is a nonprofit organization, and was first organized in September 1965 when  John Campbell called a meeting at Southwest Junior High School to determine an interest in community theatre. The first show was “The Man Who Came to Dinner,” which was a huge success. ACT used the Southwest school stage for 17 years until the organization moved to its current home at 147 N. Broadway.