The Butcher Shop

The Butcher Shop was conceived in 1989 as a gathering of Chico's homegrown theatrical and musical talent. The first five productions took place in a Chico back yard, and from these efforts the Blue Room Theatre was born. After a 15 year hiatus, most of the original players, now hailing from far flung locales such as Los Angeles, New York and Portland, reunited in 2009 and combined with fresh Chico talent to produce the current Butcher Shop (now produced by Slow Theatre. Beginning at dusk on the Saturday and Sunday evenings of Labor Day weekend, original plays are interspersed with songs from a rockin' live band, dance and tableau. All of this magically occurs in an almond orchard at the edge of town, attracting around 1500 participants each year.