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BSLLT chooses revival,
sets Jan. 18 meetincr
2A-THE SEA COAST ECHO—SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1PS8
BY DENA BISNETTE
The Bay St. Louis Little Theatre, revived this past week when concerned supporters met to decide the fate of the Board-man Avenue Playhouse, will conduct a membership meeting Jan. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in the conference room of the new Mississippi Power building.
Individual memberships are $10, said Ed Craig, a past president of BSLLT. Part of the proceeds raised will be used to repair the playhouse, which has a leaky roof and some floor rot on the stage from the dampness.
The playhouse has not been used since last year when the Waveland Players performed a musical, “1776,” and a comedy, “Greater Tuna,” there before deciding not to purchase the building.
The revival drive, headed by Craig, was reportedly sparked by rumors that the building would be tom down and a small park built on its site.
The Jan. 18 meeting will include election of a steering committee as well as discussion of plans for the future.
Speakers at the “Save the Theatre” meeting, which attracted about 40 people, included Craig; Joe Marochino, another past president; Emily deMontluzin, who gave a presentation on the history of the building; and two frequent
BSLLT performers, Ted Stech-mann and Sherry Schwabacher.
John Holmes, who has served as technical director for many years, discussed the specific problems with the old wooden building, which according to deMontluzin was built of two surplus military barracks in 1948.
Schwabacher explained that the biggest need BSLLT has right now is people.
Discussion topics that were brought up and may be discussed Jan. 18 included such items as use of the playhouse for other purposes in addition to theatre, how many plays should be presented each year, the organization’s current financial and membership status and whether BSLLT and Waveland Players should be amalgamated.
The history of BSLLT goes back to 1946 when 28 people
met at the home of Marie Louise Bell and Drewry Bell, deMontluzin said. The group is one of the oldest little theatre organizations on the Gulf Coast.
The first production took place in what is now the Bay Junior High School auditorium, then the McDonald family donated a converted storage building on Carroll Avenue.
After almost three years, the existing building was erected and was outfitted and furnished
through donations with most of the labor supplied by members.
The plays featured included dramas, comedies, mysteries and musicals, most of which were recent successes on Broadway and in Hollywood and carried high royalties, but BSLLT was able to obtain discounts from some of the publishing houses and has received awards for some of its productions.
At one time, BSLLT performed plays once each month, but the standard season eventually became about four plays a year with no summer performances, partially due to a lack of air-conditioning and the diversions provided by other activities.
According to deMontluzin, the little theatre’s popularity did not begin to slip until 1982. Marochino attributed the problem to several factors, including television, the increasing number of older mpnibers, a poor location with inadequate parking and lack of maintenance funds.
However, the consensus of the group that met to “Save the Theatre” was that the audiences and the interest in theatre are still evident and that BSLLT can be revived.
Anyone interested in becoming a member of BSLLT may write Post Office Box 342, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520.