If you are a lover of the arts, then the Springfield Little Theatre (SLT) is the place for you. Founded in 1935, the Springfield Little Theater organization purchased the famous Landers Theatre and shortly became the city’s gem for entertainment.

Entertainment for all

The Springfield Little Theatre is a nonprofit organization run solely by volunteers. The organization is designed to bring lively entertainment to the community of Springfield while also educating actors and fans of musical theater.

Hillary Talty, junior at Drury University, is one of the many college students that love attending the Springfield Little Theatre and is excited for their new season.

“The first show I distinctly remember attending at SLT was their production of ‘Treasure Island’. I remember the production being really funny and entertaining. The part that really stuck out to me was the fact that one of the main, typically male roles, Dr. Livesey, was played by a woman. Which really made me happy to see that women could get main roles in a predominantly male production,” said Talty.

Upcoming shows

The Springfield Little Theatre is now celebrating its 84th season. With a new list of up and coming productions, like “Lily Plants a Garden” (Feb. 7-10), “The Little Mermaid” (March 21- April 7), “Zoo Story” (April 18-21), “Footloose” (June 7-23), and “The Lion King Experience Jr” (June 27–30), there will be shows for people of all ages.

“I am interested to see what productions they have in store. Everyone should see a play at SLT because it is an organization that is meant to simply entertain, and they do a good job at that. They almost always have some show going on that people can get tickets for. It’s great to see all the local young actors and actresses to come together and do what they love,” said Talty.

Community involvement

The Springfield Little Theatre reaches out to the community to find talent for their plays and musicals. They offer auditions for their upcoming shows and encourage anyone who has a love for acting to participate. The organization also offers classes for people who want to learn more about the world of theatre and connect with other actors in the community. Through this organization, people have the opportunity to enjoy a life on the stage.

For information about the Springfield Little Theatre and to see the complete list of its 84th season’s productions, visit springfieldlittletheater.org.

Article by Kate Bequette.