Laurel Little Theatre Announces 60th Season

"THE SHOW MUST TRULY GO ON!" After a long 'intermission' due to COVID, Laurel Little Theatre returns with a spectacular 60th anniversary season beginning later this month.

LLT was first started in 1961, when a small group of local theatre lovers headed by Marda Burton, Mary Anne Sumrall, Ernest Graves and Gene Gandrau met at the bowling alley that used to be next door to the old Leader-Call newspaper offices on Beacon Street. They called for an organizational meeting at the Pinehurst Coffee Shop and within months, the first production was up on the boards.

After a few decades of presenting shows at various local schools and the old Armory Building, LLT bought the Arabian Theatre in 1977 after it went out of business as a movie house. It's been LLT's playhouse ever since.

The 60th season opener will be the Southern comedy "DOUBLEWIDE, TEXAS" running the weekends of January 22-24 and 29-31. The production was originally scheduled for this past spring and was just about ready to start when COVID shut everything down.

The 'doublewide' trailer has been quietly sitting on LLT's Arabian theatre stage for months now, just waiting to finally make its appearance. Director Frankie Bennett has had her cast in socially distanced and masked warm-up rehearsals the past month - and they're ready to give everyone a handful of well-deserved and much needed belly laughs.

LLT's reservation line starts answering January 15th - one week before opening night - at 601.428.0140.

For last season's ticket members, LLT will be honoring any leftover punches from the past year. But they do hope everyone that has supported LLT with memberships will still renew since they need the support of the community to continue providing quality entertainment and to keep up the beloved historic 93-year-old Arabian Theatre.

The second production of the season will be one of Eudora Welty's most popular pieces, "WHY I LIVE AT THE P.O." It's a hilarious one-woman show about a postmistress of a tiny Mississippi town that's telling stories about all of her mad-capped family. Long-time LLT actress Christy Liverett is playing that role and she's already learning her lines for the February production that will be directed by Jessica Shaidnagle.

Then April brings comes in with a love story for all ages - the hit classic "ON GOLDEN POND." It's about an older couple that spends summers at their peaceful Maine vacation home. After their daughter drops off her soon-to-be young stepson, the comedy, the teen angst and the drama all begin.

LLT faves Catherine & Steven Nowicki will play the leads (other roles are open for auditions set for February 1-2) under the direction of Frankie Bennett.

Closing out the season will be LLT's annual Kids' Camp production - the scrumpdiddlyumptious family favorite musical "WILLIE WONKA." The camp workshops and rehearsals begin May 27 and the production runs the first weekend of June.

Show director Rebecca Green and Camp director Toni Cockrell will head up the 100 kids that pull off a major miracle 'putting on a show' in just one week!

Keeping safety in mind as a top priority for the LLT audiences and volunteers, extra precautions this year include: limited audiences under 50% capacity with marked off rows and an empty seat between each couple/family, masks (bring your own, please!) and distancing required, no admittance with visible illness/coughs/sneezing, temperature checks at the door and hydrostatic disinfectant cleaning of the theatre before each performance.

LLT offers a full season four-punch membership ticket that has savings from 10%-28% off single ticket prices and makes the average price of attending live theatre less than a movie.

The 4-Punch LLT Season Member Ticket is $50 (seniors or students), $55 (adults), $100 (two 4-punch season tickets for a couple) or $190 (four season tickets for a family of four). There's four punches on each season ticket - allowing you to punch once per show, or you can even use up to two of your punches on any one production and bring someone with you.

LLT's "Gold Patrons" that contribute over the cost of a season ticket also receive a complimentary wine or soft drink at each performance, a choice of seats from a specially reserved Gold Patrons' section, listings in each show program and on the LLT website, and a tax deduction for their donations.

The annual season brochure was just recently mailed. For any information or to request a copy of that brochure, drop a line to LLTLaurelMS@aol.com - or it can be downloaded from their website: LaurelLittleTheatre.com

To post a comment, you must register and login.