Article Written by Chris Kraus
LSC Board of Directors
November
13, 2008
It
has been a month since the Loveland Stage Company theatre roof went up
in flames. It has been a month since years of theatre costumes
collected from Loveland residents burned to a crisp. It has been a
month since the Loveland Fire Department put out the fire by rocketing
water through the new stained glass windows of comedy and tragedy
recently donated by Loveland craftsmen.
And what has the 29-year-old Loveland community theatre company done
this month in the fire’s aftermath?
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Produced three
performances of The Pajama Game at Loveland High School
-
Relocated Jingle Bells
Rock performances for Christmas in Loveland at City Hall
-
Cleaned out the
junked-up theatre and shored up the charred walls
-
Removed the seating
platforms to our four-year-old, paid-up Green Room that remained
relatively undamaged from the fire
-
Resumed construction
of our storage area for sets and costumes on the south side of the
theatre
-
Received a
“structurally sound” diagnosis for the theatre from city fire and
engineer officials
-
Met with city
officials to strengthen a partnership in the redevelopment plans for
historic downtown Loveland
-
Resolved to “repair
and restore the theatre at its present location on 2nd Street”
-
Developed
architectural sketches of the restoration
-
Raised an initial
$15,000 in the fire fund at the Lebanon Citizens National Bank in
Loveland
-
Established a
Fundraising Committee for theatre restoration
-
Received a gift to
reconstruct the stained glass windows
-
Received assistance
and benefits from several other community theatre groups in Greater
Cincinnati
-
Re-committed the
entire production crew of Miss Saigon to debut the first Ohio
community theatre performance of this show in November, 2009 at our
newly restored theatre.
-
Communicated all these projects to our 142+
family members (250+ individuals) through our web site www.lovelandstagecompany.org and open
meetings
That’s some community theatre company! We are one of only a handful of
over 25 community theatres in the Greater Cincinnati area with our own
theater building. We are all volunteers. We are not a religious
organization, but our performances have taken on spiritual
significance. We are not a political organization, but we are zealous
advocates for the performing arts. We are not a family business, but
our production experiences are known to create a welcoming family
atmosphere. We are not exclusively for the young, the old or the middle
aged; but rather we combine all generations with a common love for the
performance, the stage and the story. Where else can you find a
creative group so diverse in religion, politics, age and occupations?
Why, the Loveland Stage Company!
For all Loveland and neighboring residents who watched our theatre go up
in flames last month wondering who is the Loveland Stage Company and how
will they deal with this fire, we are responding like we do in our other
productions: with commitment, industry, talent, diversity and
deadlines! The Loveland Stage Company also welcomes you to become part
of our upcoming productions. We want your spark of creativity and love
of theatre; your costuming and set construction talents; your singing,
dancing, acting and promotions; your patronage and your recommendations
to others. We are alive and well, and we want you to be part of our
performance.
Chris Kraus
Vice President, Loveland Stage Company Board of Directors
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