If you’ve never visited the Los Alamos Little Theater, this might be the year to give it a try. If you act quickly, there are still a few tickets available for Clue. This stage adaptation of the popular movie starring Tim Curry and based on the board game would be a fantastic way to enjoy the dramatic talents of your local friends and neighbors!
It’s not unusual for a small town to have a dramatic society, club, or gathering of locals who just enjoy the heck out of a stage production. But most drama clubs don’t have an origin story quite like ours. Meaning that their production history likely doesn’t include Robert Oppenheimer on stage. (It was a non speaking role, but still!)
When you think about scientists from a multitude of backgrounds gathered together with the purpose of research and development on a scale never before attempted, you might assume any drama happening was of a suspenseful and Hollywood thriller like origin. But there was a common theme between the scientists, civilians, and military personnel living in the Secret City back in the 1940’s. They wanted to enjoy life. They built ski hills, golf courses, rifle and archery ranges, and horse stables. They created mountaineering clubs, explored the terrain, started choral societies, bands, orchestras, and danced every chance they got.
The Los Alamos Little Theater (LALT) began as a drama club sometime in 1943. According to the LALT’s own history, the first group consisted of military personnel, civilians, and scientists who had some or no experience with stage acting. One might even suggest they were just looking for something fun to keep them occupied in their off hours. They would send away for dramatic plays or scripts and then act them out for each other.
In the beginning they couldn’t decide what to call themselves. It was agreed upon that the “Drama Club” sounded childish. By the fall of 1943, the “Little Theater Group” was formalized with a board of directors. Members paid 25 cents each month to support the group with the hope that they would eventually be self sustaining through ticket sales and contributions from the public.
The first production was Right About Face. It opened on January 8, 1944. The cost was 35 cents for civilians and 20 cents for soldiers and WAC. The ticket price got you a seat for the stage production, refreshments, and admission to the dance held afterwards. Sounds like a pretty good deal, right?
Later ticket prices were 50 cents for the stage production and dance, or just 15 cents if you only wanted to dance. The first seven productions took place during the war. Oppenheimer’s non speaking role was in Arsenic and Old Lace. In the first 26 years of operation, the Little Theater Group performed an incredible 125 productions in venues all throughout the Secret City.
By 1971, Los Alamos County was considering the demolition of its Recreation Hall on Nectar Street. The building had originally been designated the East Cafeteria during the war. Fortunately for the Little Theater Group, the county fully supported their desire to take over the building and convert it into a play house. The county even gave the group the $6000 that had been allocated for demolition costs to use in their renovation. And THAT was when the Los Alamos Performing Arts Center was born.
Since the creation of the PAC in 1971, the Los Alamos Little Theater has put on over 230 productions. You can see a full list of their dramatic presentations on their website. Some of these presentations were collaborations with the Los Alamos Light Opera or the Santa Fe Community Theater. And every year on Halloweekend you can enjoy a fully interactive version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show starring your friends and neighbors from around town.
If you’ve ever been interested in drama, it might be time to check out the LALT. Volunteers are always welcome. Whether you crave an opportunity to be on stage or you enjoy the action behind the scenes, this could be the niche you’ve been looking for here in Los Alamos. And when you’re ready to join our unique community, give me a call! I’d love to chat Los Alamos Real Estate with you.
Recent Comments