The Hillsboro Actors Repertory Theater was founded in 1994 by John and Kim Sandstrom as an extension of their dinner-theater company SandStorm Productions.

[1][2] The married couple opened the theater in the former J. C. Penney store in downtown Hillsboro using their own money, grants, and donated time a materials.

[4] Kim Sandstrom took a hiatus from performing in 2001 after developing health problems, but returned in 2003 to start in Shirley Valentine, a one-person play by Willy Russell.

In June of that year, the company was required to vacate its original venue, which had 83 seats, after the rent for the space doubled.

[6] HART needed to raise more than $350,000 before late October to remodel the location along southeast Washington Street that previously housed a Pizza Schmizza restaurant and an office of Portland General Electric.

[19] Those actors involved in productions often perform other roles with the theater including making costumes, cleaning, and other behind the scenes work.

[6] Seating 99 people, the building includes a concession stand, a lobby, a ticket office, dressing rooms, restrooms, and an 800-square-foot (74 m2) stage.