Le Mars Community Theatre: 40 years on stage

Le Mars Community Theatre celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. Pictured here are Donna Hentges (left) and Marlene Fitzpatrick (right) displaying samples of the clothes found in the overflowing costume shop in the basement of the Postal Playhouse. [Click to enlarge]

Forty years ago a small group of theater buffs came together and formed the Le Mars Community Theatre.

And it's still going strong today.

As the theater celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, Bonnie Dull, an organizer, actress, producer and director, said the devotion of those behind the scenes and the community support have made it a success.

The Le Mars Community Theatre is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Its first production "See How They Run" was performed in October 1968 in the Little Theater at Le Mars Community High School. Pictured here acting out a scene from the play are from left Jean Hardie, Bonnie Dull (on the floor) and Teresa Wurth. [Click to enlarge]

"It's people who are interested in theater, dedicated to it," said Dull, who acted in the first production. "People who love theater just as much as I do."

The idea for a community theater began taking shape in 1968 following a play production class that a group of six to eight adults took at the former Westmar College, Dull said.

"It gathered together a group of people really interested in theater," she said. "We joined together and started a board."

Starting a theater meant learning about sets, lighting, stage managing and props.

"We really didn't know what we were doing when we started out," said Donna Hentges, one of the first organizers. "But we had some really good actors right from the start."

In October of 1968 the theater opened its doors with the play "See How They Run," a British comedy, which was performed in the Little Theater at Le Mars Community High School.

"We didn't have costumes that first year," recalled Marlene Fitzpatrick, another actor and producer.

That's hard to believe considering the theater's costume shop today, which is bursting at its seams with dresses, suits, ties, fur coats, shoes, flowers, hats and other props.

"We have costumes all the way back to the turn of the century," Fitzpatrick said. "An awful lot of it (the inventory) is people going through their closets and getting rid of it."

There have been many changes in the theater throughout its 40 years including leasing the Postal Playhouse from the City of Le Mars in 1977.

Prior to that, rehearsals and plays were performed in various places like the Little Theater, the Le Mars Community Middle School auditorium and the Eagles Club. Finding storage space was also difficult.

"We worked wherever we could find a spot that people would let us in," Hentges said. "We rehearsed in people's garages."

Even during tough times like those the theater rallied.

"We've had good support from the community as far as attendance," Dull said.

There have also been memorable experiences throughout the years for the theater.

Like when it staged a play in the Plymouth County Courthouse in 1976 or when in conjunction with Teikyo Westmar University it hosted the World Premier of "Letter to the Emperor" in 1993.

Other memories will be shared during the theater's biennial fundraiser in August. It will be a musical review of selections from shows throughout the last 40 years.

Looking forward to another 40 years, renovation of the Postal Playhouse is scheduled for this summer. The plans include construction of a handicapped-accessible ramp and restrooms, redoing the lobby and building a garage for storage and work space.

Those improvements along with recruiting new actors, directors, producers, stage hands and other volunteers are part of the theater board's positive outlook for the future.

"I think we're an asset to the community," Dull said. "I'm proud of the people who are dedicated to making the theater a success."