The Nomad Players was formed by a group of Boulder people in May of 1951. It was preceded by the Community Players, from which the new group drew many of its members. The organization was amateur; all participants in its productions were unpaid. Several of the actors later attained national recognition.
A group of Boulder people formed the Nomad Players in May 1951 to produce plays that might be performed around Boulder County and perhaps further around Colorado. Many of the original members were from the existing Community Players, which voted to disband soon after. In over thirty years of producing plays, only one production was taken on the road; the group was not as "nomadic" as anticipated when the name was chosen.
In addition to promoting drama by producing plays for the enjoyment of the public in Boulder, the Nomad Players served as a training ground for several actors who became professionals. Three such were Joan Van Ark, John Lawlor and Larry Linville.