The Colonial Little Theatre was founded in 1938 when a small group of theater lovers met and decided to form an amateur stage group. Since then, the CLT has grown to become one of the oldest community theatres in the state of New York.

The history of the Colonial Little Theatre began with its founder, Walter Short.A teacher at Knox Junior High School, Short was the first president of the organization. He also directed, staged and performed in numerous productions over the years. Since the group did not acquire a building until the early 1960's, the earliest productions were produced on the stage at Knox Junior High School. Over the past 65 years, over one thousand performers have graced the stage at the CLT, and many of them have gone on to pursue successful professional careers in the performing arts. What began as a small amateur community theatre group has evolved into a staple of the community as a forum for some of the best theatre in the area.