Aubrey Hampton and Susan Hussey are the Co-Founders and Producers of the Gorilla Theatre. Both are accomplished playwrights, former circus performers and Hoosiers.

Tucked away in the same Tampa location for over 14 years, the Gorilla Theatre boasts an intimate, welcoming environment and productions that don't insult your intelligence. With 76 plushly-upholstered seats, there isn't a bad seat in the house. Savor wine or organic coffee in comfort while you enjoy excellent theatre that you won't see elsewhere.

Isn't it time you discovered the Gorilla Theatre? Call us today for season information and directions to your new favorite venue.

Why the name, Gorilla Theatre?

In the words of Co-Founder Aubrey Hampton, "Living theatre, like the gorilla, is an endangered species."

Located in Tampa, Florida, the Gorilla Theatre was founded in 1990 when Aubrey Hampton and Susan Hussey decided they wanted to write and produce plays together. After a few productions at the Loft Theatre, Falk Theatre and Hillsborough Community College's Ybor City campus, they decided to open their own theatre in Drew Park, in 1993. In 1998, Gorilla Theatre expanded to a full season, featuring popular musicals and challenging plays by both founding members as well as other playwrights. The Gorilla features an eclectic season of critically-acclaimed works you are unlikely to see anywhere else in the Tampa Bay area. It is also the premiere venue for the Tampa Bay Jazz Club's "Jazz at the Gorilla".

Why Drew Park?

The location is convenient as it is just one short block from the company Aubrey founded in 1967, Aubrey Organics. Also, Drew Park is centrally located for theatre patrons from all parts of Tampa, as well as across the bay, in Pinellas County. We have handy, free parking, a beautiful lobby, a bar featuring select wines and beverages and an intimate theatre of 76 seats that gives each patron a perfect view of the stage. We believe the Gorilla Theatre is the best place to see the best theatre in the Tampa Bay area.

Who are Aubrey and Susan?

Aubrey Hampton has written and produced many plays in the Tampa Bay area and New York including Mingus Three (1988, 1996), Mixed Blood (1990, 1992), Swan Song for Melody Johnson (1993), Thick as Thieves (1995), Sweet Poet John Dies a Bank Robber (1996) and Shakespeare Boiled Down (1997). In 1990 he adapted for the stage George Bernard Shaw's fable The Adventures of the Black Girl in Her Search for God (a production sponsored by Saturday's Children), and in 1996, An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen. He also wrote GBS & Company, which was produced at The Gorilla Theatre in February 1999. War of the Currents, a play concerning the development of AC and DC and Nikola Tesla vs Thomas Alva Edison, was produced at the Gorilla Theatre in April 2001. Bach among the Flowers, in 2002, revealed the story of Dr. Edward Bach who formulated the Bach Flower Essences. Hampton's intriguing book, "Wolf Trilogy," is a must read for those interested in the inter-dependence of man, animals and nature on our survival.

Susan Hussey is a poet and actress as well as playwright. Her thought-provoking plays The Toxic Wave and The Dressing Room, which were produced in New York and Tampa, were published by Tampa University Press in 2002. Other plays include Plutography in the Slave Trade (1990) and Small Mammals. She currently is working on a one-act play on Rachel Carson and a full-length play, Rat World.

Aubrey and Susan are the proud parents of Trevor Thomas Beckham Hampton who was born on July 11, 2002. He has the auspicious number of 711.