Although the inhabitants of Zruč nad Sázavou were struggling with population, economic and social problems after the Second World War, the demand for cultural activities did not decrease, quite the contrary. From 1942 onwards, the biograph in the community centre was screened. After the war, the original villa of the plant manager housed a library and the Association of Czech Youth, which offered a wide range of interest groups. However, the amateur theatre group, which had been active in Bata since 1940, lacked a permanent base. Therefore, in the framework of the post-war two-year economic plan it was decided to allocate funds for the construction of a separate theatre building. Its foundation stone was laid soon after the coup in February 1948. The opening ceremony took place in April 1950 with the performance of Bedřich Smetana's opera The Bartered Bride. The authorship of the design of the zruč theatre was at the time attributed to the Zlín (Gottwald) concern director "Comrade Dr. I. Holý". In some contemporary sources, however, Miroslav Drofa is listed as the author of the building.
The theatre was atypically situated in close proximity to the factory premises. This corresponded to its form of a simple ground-floor building of the hall type, which was partially recessed below the ground level in the place of the auditorium. The structure rested on brick columns that supported concrete lintels across the entire width of the floor plan. Large windows were used to provide sufficient lighting for the hall, and some of the segments between the columns were bricked up. Wooden trusses were placed above the soffit, on which rested a low gabled plank roof covered with cardboard. The facade was left unplastered and thus corresponded in appearance to the neighbouring factory buildings. The smaller part of the theatre was probably used from the beginning as a machine shop for the production of cutting knives for shoemaking. The largest area of the building was the theatre hall, which had a seating capacity of 650. Behind the stage there was a separate section for the production and storage of backdrops, where posters were also made to celebrate national and party holidays in the era of state socialism. The whole theatre was simply furnished without the more prominent decorative elements one would probably expect in a building of this type.
The opening of the theatre was a great progress for the local amateur theatre group, because until then it had only performed once a week in the cinema in the community centre. The first performance was The Four Shoes and Two Heels in 1940 at the March meeting of the Bata School of Labour in the factory canteen. The group had 30 members and its repertoire included the comedy At the Cashier's Stand or the operetta Around the Pond, which was popular in its time. In October 1945, most of the clubs and interest organisations were united in the Local Education Council, which included the drama department of the Bata School of Labour Graduates' Club and the Tyl Voluntary Association. The Education Council was subsequently dissolved in 1949 and its activities were taken over by the ROH and its Sázavan Workers' Club, whose theatre department had 77 members. The theatre building was used not only by local clubs but also for hosting other groups. For example, in 1970, 30 performances were held here with an attendance of 8890 spectators (the average attendance was almost 300 spectators). The Workers' Racing Club continued to operate until 1989, although its activities waned in the last years of socialism.
After 1989, the national enterprise Sázavan was transformed into a joint-stock company, which closed the theatre in 1992 despite the disapproval of the local population. In the first half of the 1990s the theatre building was partially renovated. The auditorium was sealed and the floor leveled, its premises were used as a warehouse. A building maintenance and electrical workshop operated in the rear of the building, while the front of the building was still used by a workshop for cutting knives. After the bankruptcy of Sázavan in 1998, its premises were sold off and the theatre building was bought by Sázavan strojírny, which leased it to other entities. Now the building is still used by local entrepreneurs as production and storage space. Inside, the theatre's equipment was completely removed and partial structural modifications were made. In addition, the windows and roofing were replaced. However, no major alterations have been made and the facade is still in its original condition. Although it was a socially significant building at the time of its construction, today its form does not stand out from the many other buildings in the factory area.
