I
n the spring of 1949, Edith Disney and her son, Will,
discovered an old barn on the side of a lake in Washington
County. The owner, Mr. McDowell, agreed to lease the barn on
his working farm to the Disneys for use as a space to present live
stage plays. And so, Peters Township’s beloved Little Lake Theatre
was born.
Since 1949, Little Lake Theatre has produced more than 1,200
productions, and has featured the talents of more than 1,700
actors. The original stage, surrounded by wooden folding chairs,
was located in the center of the barn floor—forming the area’s first
theatre-in-the-round that audiences still enjoy today. This year
marks Little Lake’s 68th season.
Little Lake is run by a small staff and Board of Directors made
up of artistic and business leaders from Peters Township and
surrounding communities. Kathy DeBlassio is the current board
president, and this year Jena Oberg joined the staff as Artistic
Director.
“I’ve been involved with Little Lake for over 20 seasons,” says
Oberg, recalling her first Little Lake show as a teenager—“Anne of
Green Gables.” Oberg has gone on to direct over 40 productions
at Little Lake, and previously served as the Theatre Arts Camp
Director before stepping into her current role.
Every season, Little Lake Theatre features the talents of more
than 100 local actors, and presents 11 mainstage productions,
three summer “Looking Glass” productions for children and two
fall family matinee productions. This year, Little Lake will also offer
a touring production of “Letters to Sala” that will be traveling to
area high schools.
Nearly all actors are volunteers, with one or two Actors’ Equity
Members performing each year by special contract. “Each season
we are blown away by the level of talent that comes to our open
auditions and have been blessed to work with wonderful actors
year after year,” says Oberg.
Little Lake produces a wide variety of genres and playwrights
each season. From the classics, like Shakespeare, to musicals,
comedies, contemporary plays and audience favorites—there’s
something for everyone each season.
The Artistic Director selects a season’s repertoire
with input from the directors and artistic staff. Between eight and
12 directors are hired per season for productions. Many of the
directors have been working with Little Lake for years, while some
are new to the group each year. This season, Little Lake welcomes
four new directors to the organization. All directors are seasoned
theatre professionals and work throughout the Pittsburgh region.
Rehearsals are held during the week and on weekends, usually
beginning about three weeks before a play opens. Rehearsals are
held both in the current theatre space as well as in the rehearsal
barn, which was the original Little Lake Theatre space. Actors
rehearse an average of 50 hours for each production.
All of Little Lake Theatre’s productions are performed in the
group’s theatre space. “Little Lake is a small theatre-in-the-round,
where the audience sits on all sides of the stage,” says Oberg. “This
allows the audiences to feel like they are a part of the show, since no
seat is more than 20 feet from the performance space.”
Little Lake offers many productions for children and families
each season, and is a great place to bring young people to
experience their first play in a relaxed and intimate setting. “We
have been a gem in the heart of the South Hills for 68 years and
continue to offer quality theatre experiences for our patrons,
young and old,” says Oberg. “Many audience members come to
Little Lake to enjoy their first theatre experience and continue to
Continued on next page >
“We have been a gem in the heart of the South Hills for
68 years and continue to offer quality theatre experiences
for our patrons, young and old.”
Canon-Mac | Winter 2016 | icmags.com 31