Marblehead Little Theatre facts for kids
The Marblehead Little Theatre is a fun community theater group in Marblehead, Massachusetts. It started in 1956 and is one of the oldest community theaters in New England that has been running without stopping!
Contents
The Story of Marblehead Little Theatre
How it All Began in the 1950s
The idea for the Marblehead Little Theatre started in 1955. Some women in town put on a short play called The Charm Racquet. People loved it so much that they decided to create a full theater group!
Their very first big play was Light up the Sky. Friends and family helped with everything, from acting to building sets. The show opened on January 18, 1956, at the Marblehead Junior High School.
During the 1950s, MLT mostly performed at the high school. As they became more well-known, they were asked to perform at churches, charity events, and hospitals. They even performed a children's play, Leonardo da Vinci, at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston!
Growing in the 1960s
In the 1960s, MLT started doing workshops to help people learn about theater. They also put on interesting plays like Zoo Story. In 1963, they were invited to perform two short plays outdoors at the Marblehead Arts Festival.
Around the mid-1960s, MLT decided to try musicals! Their first musical was The Fantasticks. It had a small cast and a simple orchestra. People loved it so much that MLT decided to put on a big musical called Pajama Game in November 1965.
Pajama Game had 40 actors from many nearby towns. It featured 18 songs, lots of dancing, and a full orchestra. The show was performed at Salem State College and was completely sold out!
The 1960s also saw MLT start competing in the New England Theatre Conference Drama Festival. MLT also began giving a yearly scholarship to a graduating student from Marblehead High School who loved theater.
Touring and Musicals in the 1970s
In 1970, MLT brought back The Fantasticks and became a traveling group! They took the show to different colleges and towns, performing for various events.
Many musicals in the 1970s were performed at Abbot Hall. These included popular shows like Kiss Me Kate, Man of La Mancha, Fiddler on the Roof, Brigadoon, and Camelot. They also put on children's shows like The Red Shoes and Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp.
One special performance in the 1970s was the opening night of 1776. This show celebrated America's 200th birthday! There were parties before and after the show, with a famous painting called Spirit of '76 on display.
New Stages in the 1980s
In the 1980s, MLT started performing at the new Nelson Aldrich Performing Arts Center. This center at Marblehead High School had a huge stage and could seat 766 people! It was almost as grand as professional theaters in Boston.
Big productions like The Music Man, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and Company were performed there.
Finding a Home in the 1990s
A major goal for MLT in the 1990s was to find their own building. They wanted a place to put on smaller plays, hold workshops, and store their sets, props, and costumes.
Besides their yearly musicals, MLT also produced smaller plays. These included One Civilized Person in 1995, which was part of the Marblehead Festival of Arts. Other plays like Exit the Body and The Cemetery Club were performed at the Tower School.
In 1998, MLT's big production of The Wizard of Oz at the Aldrich Center sold out every show!
During the production of The King and I in 1999, the town of Marblehead gave the School Street Firehouse to the Marblehead Little Theatre. This was a huge step towards getting their own permanent home!
