About Lakeshore Players

2012-13: Celebrating our 60th Season!

Lakeshore Players mission is “to provide community enrichment opportunities through the performing arts.” Lakeshore serves as the premier performing arts center for the White Bear Lake area and is committed to providing opportunities for our community to participate in and experience live theatre.

In 2012-13, we will present seven productions (see shows). But that’s not all! Check us out ...

• After-school theatre arts classes for students in grades 1-12, plus summer programs for youth,
• Annual worldwide 10-Minute Playwriting Contest and Festival,
• Weekday $5 bargain matinee performances of our children’s show, Cricket on the Hearth, plus
• Costume and prop rentals.

On the first Sunday of most productions, we offer a pay-what-you-can performance. Everyone is invited to stay after the show that day for a post-show artistic discussion with the director and creative team.

Auditions are open to all, and opportunities for volunteering abound—from set construction to costume assistant to backstage crew.

History

Founded in 1953 in White Bear Lake (northeastern Ramsey County), Lakeshore has continuously-operated as a community theater. Lakeshore operates year-round in an historic building, which the organization owns, located in downtown White Bear Lake.

Lakeshore Players’ administrative staff includes two full-time, and five part-time suport stafff, with contracted artists brought in for production teams and youth instructors. Each production showcases the talents of different guest artistic directors, music directors, choreographers, costumers, and stage managers, offering a variety of artistic approaches to engage our audiences and providing more opportunities for theatre professionals to work in their field.

Lakeshore’s 14-member volunteer board of directors is a working board, meeting monthly to govern and guide every production.

Lakeshore Players is a true community theater—each season, an average of 650 community volunteer actors, musicians, technicians, ushers, and others contribute to the organization’s success.

Community
Each year Lakeshore is visted more than 14,000 times. The organization is a vibrant part of our community, not only offering arts opportunities through our own programs, but also by providing a venue for other groups to present, such as Evans Music School in White Bear Lake, which hosts its annual concert at Lakeshore each spring. In addition, Lakeshore serves as a resource for the community and for other theaters, making available our stock of costumes and props, and sharing our pool of talented actors, designers, and technicians.

Lakeshore Players partners with other organizations to bring our programs to other venues. Recent partners include St. Paul's Landmark Center, Century College, and White Bear Lake Area Schools.

Lakeshore Players provides opportunities for community members to participate in the theatrical arts—from wide-eyed beginners, to experienced theatrical professionals. Professional guest artist directors, music directors, and choreographers share their skills and techniques gained through training and experience with volunteer actors drawn from the community. Each season, we see people who participated in youth programs return as adults to volunteer as actors and ushers, and to help with sets, props and costuming. Some have gone on to work as actors, directors, and stage managers at professional theaters. Many Lakeshore acting class students confidently go on to audition for a chance to perform in Lakeshore’s main stage productions.

Strategic Plan
Lakeshore Players' vision is to serve as the premier performing arts center for our community. Lakeshore's three-year strategic plans include short and long-term goals through June 30, 2013. View strategic plan.

Questions?
Please contact us if you would like more information!

Get a Virtual Back Stage Tour!
Click on the link to view Minnesota Public Radio Feature about Lakeshore Players: Theatre for All

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This activity is funded, in part, by the Minnesota State Arts Board through the arts and cultural heritage fund as appropriated by the Minnesota State Legislature with money from the Legacy Amendment vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.