At 321 East 4th Street on Bethlehem's South Side, there is a renovated 19th century firehouse with 72 seats and a company of artists who have been making theater on their own terms for over four decades. Touchstone Theatre is not your typical community playhouse. They do not just perform plays. They create them.
Born on the Streets
Touchstone was founded in 1981 by Bill George, Bridget George, and Lorraine Zeller. But its roots go deeper. In the mid 1970s, the founding members were part of improvisational bilingual street theater troupes that brought performances to Latino and Anglo neighborhoods across the South Side. That street level, community first approach became the DNA of everything Touchstone does.
In 1987, the company renovated an abandoned firehouse into their permanent home. The intimate 72 seat space forces a relationship between performer and audience that larger theaters simply cannot replicate. When an actor is standing six feet from you in a former firehouse, there is nowhere to hide. Every emotion, every gesture, every breath lands differently.
Creating, Not Just Performing
What sets Touchstone apart is the ensemble model. The core company is involved in every aspect of production, from writing to directing to performing. Their work spans original musicals and plays, new adaptations of classic texts, and deeply community engaged projects that draw stories and performers from the South Side's diverse neighborhoods. The bilingual tradition that started on the streets in the 1970s continues to inform their work today.
A South Side Anchor
Touchstone participates in the annual SouthSide Film Festival and First Friday celebrations, connecting with the broader arts community that has grown up around them. In a neighborhood that has become increasingly known for its creative energy, Touchstone was there first. They helped build the South Side Arts District simply by doing the work, night after night, in a firehouse that smells like old wood and new ideas.
