Ruth and Nathan Hale were involved in community theater in the Salt Lake area, but moved to California in 1945 so Nathan could pursue an acting career in film. After breaking into the movie industry proved challenging, the Hales opened the Glendale Centre Theatre, because "Nathan could play any role he desired if they started their own theatre."^[1]

After 36 years, the Hales sold the Glendale Centre Theatre to their daughter Sandra and her husband Allan Dietlein so they could retire in Southern Utah. Instead, they joined with grandson Mark Dietlein and his wife Sally, and daughter Sally Hale Rice, in transforming an old lingerie factory in South Salt Lake into the Hale Centre Theatre.^[1]

The used seats came a movie theater near the Mexican border, painted green to match the only color of upholstrery fabric on sale.^[1]

The theater opened on 12 July 1985 with "I Came to Your Wedding" playing to an audience of 25. Scenery for the production was built from plywood salvaged from a construction site and the sound system was a cassette tape player placed near a microphone.^[1]

“The facility was old and a little scary," said daughter-in-law Sally Dietlein, "but always packed.”^[1]

After producing their first Broadway musical, "Brigadoon", in 1992, Mark and Sally Dietlein and Sally Hale Rice began formulating plans to move to a new facility that could better accommodate such higher-caliber productions.  The Hale Center Theatre moved from South Salt Lake to West Valley City in 1998. ^[1]

1. "Theatre History", halecentretheatre.org, April 2011