The easy way to measure Springfield Little Theatre’s legacy is years. More than 90 of them have come and gone since a group of a few young adults put on a play at the then-new Clara Thompson Hall on Drury College’s campus in 1934.
Nearly a century is a long time. So long, in fact, that SLT is said to be the oldest-running community theater group in Missouri. But perhaps it’s not long enough to see the impact the group has had on lives spanning from seats to stage.
Because how can you measure impact on hearts, minds and lives — or what things would look like if it wasn’t here?
“I want people to know that Springfield Little Theatre is more than a theater company; it’s a community,” says Alex Scranton, SLT’s director of Operations and Communications. “It’s a place where lifelong friendships are made, where dreams are realized, and where we all come together to celebrate the magic of storytelling. Whether it’s your first time walking through the doors or your hundredth, there’s something special waiting for you at SLT.”
Start of Springfield Little Theatre
“The Wizard of Oz” has been produced seven times by Springfield Little Theatre — tying it with “Annie” for the most productions. Here, it’s shown in 1987. (Courtesy of Springfield Little Theatre)
The Landers Theater is shown shortly after it was purchased by the Springfield Little Theatre in 1970. (Courtesy of Springfield Little Theatre)
In a way, the Great Depression was a reason SLT came to be. According to “The Story of the Springfield Little Theatre,” a presentation given to the theater guild by Frances Vandivort in 1978, it was difficult to find a job in those days. They were so scarce, in fact, that spare time led the recent high school graduates to put on a play.
“Then, there was the first and eternal problem: the money to mount the play,” noted Vandivort. “So, they solicited the business and professional men in Springfield for $1 each.”
The $56 they raised funded that first production – “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde – on July 24, 1934.
“This is the first bit of dramatic effort to be presented by the group since its organization,” noted the Sunday News and Leader on July 22, 1934, in a full-page spread about the upcoming production. “The group’s membership includes a number of young college folk, just graduated from high school; and all the young players have taken part in several other dramatic productions in the past few years.”
“The young people hope to lay the foundation for a permanent and much larger group here,” another article that month prophesied. It also noted that Springfield was believed to be one of few cities its size to not have such a group – a cultural perception that would have been viewed as one to rectify in the era when the community was growing through its first art museum, parks and general betterment.
The reportedly 106-degree evening didn’t keep the performance from being a success.
“The comedy proved still laughable despite its age and triviality, and both actors and audience seemed to enjoy it thoroughly,” noted the Springfield Leader and Press the next day. “Many a gusty laugh swept the auditorium and sustained the evening’s good-natured mood.”
Growth of Springfield Little Theatre
The outside of the Landers Theatre in 2011. Photo courtesy of Visit Springfield, Missouri.
Those early articles note a number of names that were destined to have a lasting impact on both SLT and theatrical work beyond the Ozarks.
One was Helen Johnson, a trailblazing teacher who, after graduating from Drury, long taught dramatics to high schoolers before retiring and continuing her career teaching English at today’s College of the Ozarks. She died in 1980 at age 79.
But in 1934, Johnson was a teacher in her early 30s who was approached for help in organizing a community theater group.
“We who entered high school in 1931 were captivated by her,” wrote Bruce Lemmon, one of SLT’s founding members, years ago in memory of Johnson. “It must have been her teaching us something right, at least, and inspiring enthusiasm that enabled us to succeed in that dry, disastrous summer of 1934 and to continue on until WWII suspended operations.”
Lemmon was one who went on to local theater greatness; even though he became a physician, in his spare time (and among many community initiatives) he remained involved in SLT work for decades. Another was Kirk Denmark, whose career took him to Beloit College, a liberal arts institution in Wisconsin, where he was a professor and chairman of the Speech and Dramatic Arts department. In 1965, he was also elected to the board of directors of the American National Theatre and Academy.
Both of them were still connected to SLT through that “dark” time Lemmon mentioned in World War II when SLT – for seemingly the first and only time since its start – was forced to pause. Not disband. What else could be done when so many men were gone for the war? Lemmon and Denmark were just two who served their country during this time.
“The Springfield Little Theatre, like practically every other organization these days, has been caught in the draft and we fear that soon only the women will be left to carry on,” wrote Thora Sheppard, a teacher at Springfield’s Jarrett Junior High and manager for SLT, in a February 1942 letter to the editor about their upcoming production.
“At this writing, the set is still under construction; flats need painting, props need assembling, and drapes need hanging. Arrangements need to be made for serving coffee at intermission and someone to manage the check-room, both services our patrons have enjoyed in the past.
“However, on next Tuesday night at 8:30, the curtains will open on a polished, professional performance. We always do!”
By 1946, the war was over and SLT was back in show business. Its first revived performance was in April 1946, when it produced “Our Town,” success that led to ambitions for more.
“A membership meeting – to which all persons formerly associated with the theater from 1934 - 42, and all other Springfield residents interested in community drama will be invited to attend – will be scheduled within two weeks,” printed the Springfield Leader and Press later that year.
A challenge, that article noted, was space: A theater was needed for rehearsals and productions. This challenge didn’t get solved in a permanent way until nearly a quarter-century later, when the SLT staged its greatest real-life production ever: It purchased the Landers Theater.
The Landers takes the stage
Springfield Little Theatre has been part of the Ozarks since 1934. Today, it’s said to be the longest running community theater in Missouri. A production of “You Can’t Take It With You” from 1971 is shown here. (Courtesy of Springfield Little Theatre)
Plans for the Landers’ new life were made official in 1970.
It wasn’t the first home the SLT had considered; another in this era was joining forces with the art museum to create a collective home. But when the possibility of a deal to purchase the Landers came about, SLT worked to make it happen.
The Landers was a dusty jewel in the downtown Springfield scene, opening in 1909. Its early years were filled with theatrical productions, and troupes of touring performers as a vaudeville house. It eventually was transformed into a movie theater. Later, as businesses migrated from downtown to south Springfield, it appeared there might be a chance for the Landers to return to its roots of live entertainment.
That deal became official in June 1970, when SLT purchased the Landers for $100,000. Another $50,000 was budgeted for necessary renovations. In 2025, that amount would equal approximately $1.2 million – an amount that led SLT to launch its first fundraising campaign in its 35-year existence.
“The Landers will be the LT’s first home, after producing plays in such ‘appropriate or inappropriate places such as Central High School Auditorium, Central’s tiny Studio Theatre, various junior high school auditoriums, Mercy Villa, the public parks, the basement of City Hall, and finally at Clara Thompson Auditorium which Drury College has generously made available to us for the last 12 seasons,’” said Virgil Anderson, co-chair of the SLT building committee, in the newspaper article announcing the sale.
The first show in the old-yet-new theater was that November, when a revival of “The Importance of Being Earnest,” linked SLT’s start and new beginning together.
“After months of hard work in restoring the interior of the … playhouse and weeks of rehearsals, the resident theater company is about ready for its debut in its new home,” printed the Springfield Daily News in 1970. “All touches are reminiscent of the just after the turn-of-the-century appearance of the theater when it was constructed. Ornate exterior motifs, which identified it as a first rate theatrical house, are still to be seen.”
Those details and more struck theater-goers for that first show, sentiments that were summarized in a letter to the editor from “Just Another Gwendoline” in November 1970:
“What would all those doodads and ornamentals say if they could talk? They would say when the curtain raises on ‘The Importance of Being Earnest,’ ‘Oh, we are back.’ And perhaps all the actors of those stage shows which have been part of the Landers in bygone days may have blown a wish of nostalgia. ‘You be very, very patient and one day we will be back.’”
Work on the Landers has remained a parallel part of SLT’s mission in the years since. Pains have been taken to preserve the theater – neither easy or inexpensive tasks – and range from details like HVAC systems to special carpet that reminds of authentic vintage design, designed from what was there in the 1930s.
“The Landers Theatre is really the heart of Springfield Little Theatre,” says Scranton with the SLT. “As the longest-running community theatre in Missouri, having a home like The Landers—a historic landmark that has stood for over a century—gives us something unique that few organizations have. It’s where generations of performers, volunteers, and patrons have shared unforgettable experiences, and preserving it is central to everything we do.”
Onward and Upward for Springfield Little Theatre
In the 55 years since that first show on the Landers’ stage, SLT has continued to grow and expand the definition of what it means to be a “little” theater. That work is overseen by a staff of about 16 people; the team is led by Beth Domann, SLT’s executive director who has been connected with SLT in various capacities since 1978.
"This is a nationally recognized community theater — in Springfield, Missouri," Domann told Ozarks Alive in 2016. "You know, I’m pretty damn proud of it. We’ve done a really good job. And this is our community theater. These are your friends, these are your people who are from here that are out there doing that. And Springfield, and around here, really is a freaky vortex of talent."
That collection of SLT alumni talent includes nationally known names like Kim Crosby, Tess Harper and Kathleen Turner. Those famed names, however, are only three examples of the work that SLT has done to change lives.
Kim Crosby starred in Springfield Little Theatre’s production of “Cinderella” in 1977. (Courtesy of Springfield Little Theatre)
“Springfield Little Theatre is unique in its scale, scope, and impact,” says Scranton. “What I believe sets us apart is our rich history and production quality, especially in education. Few theaters can match the sheer breadth of what we offer: from our mainstage productions and late-night series each season to robust educational programs serving thousands of students annually.”
While mainstage productions do take place on the Landers’ distinctive stage, much of SLT’s work and community impact is found on smaller stages, or even offstage as the nonprofit’s educational efforts have continued to evolve and significantly expand.
In 2018, it acquired the former McDaniel School, a red-brick landmark in downtown Springfield to house those growing educational efforts. Today, the center is known as The Judith Enyeart Reynolds School of the Performing Arts for Springfield Little Theatre, affectionately nicknamed The Judy for short.
There are classes for kids to adults in acting, voice, and dance. There are youth troupes, summer and one-off classes are held for kids when local school is out of session. The SLT’s Education Series of shows opens the door for anyone to participate, described as a “learning lab for live performances.”
Disney’s “Newsies” was produced by Springfield Little Theatre in 2018. (Courtesy of Springfield Little Theatre)
That education has been a meaningful effort for SLT’s future and its overall awareness, says Dean Price, a local attorney who has long been involved in SLT productions.
“I think that a larger base of community talent shows up at auditions, especially for the musicals,” says Price, comparing today to the early ‘90s. Social media and promotion provides a contrast to the past, when, he says, when “It was almost like a little secret – you sort of had to be in the know.”
Over about 35 years, Price has observed and participated in SLT’s evolution. The standalone pipeline of talent is more significant, he says, in contrast to the past when there was more reliance on universities and other groups to help provide talent.
“Although that still happens to some degree, it’s not as necessary as it used to be because there are so many performers who can sing and dance and act because they’ve been doing it since they were little kids in the education department,” he says.
Price’s roles have taken him from young adulthood to retirement – at least from the stage, which he crossed for the last time in 2024. Price wrapped up his mainstage work with “Guys and Dolls,” the second time he was cast in the musical. The first was in 1994.
“We had a lovely older gentleman who was in the cast that played the grandfather,” Price recalls of the earlier production. “I would have been 35 years old at the time, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘One of these days, if they do that show again, that would be a role that I would really like to do.’”
And, 30 years later, that’s who he played.
Memories of those many stage-made moments – some of which include Price’s own children as they also participated in shows – live in memories and notebooks, where asterisks mark his favorite ones.
Seven shows have one. Some have two.
“I labeled them my very favorite,” he says of the latter with multiple asterisks. “I’ve been really lucky that I got cast as a lot of memorable characters. Sometimes I was too old; many times I was too young. But we learned our lines and learned our choreography and we gave it hell, and that’s all you can expect.”
Price’s fading footfalls are filled by others whose SLT experiences are continuing to expand.
“I just loved it from the first time that I stepped on the stage,” says Kelle Long, 35, who became involved with SLT as a child in “Cheaper By The Dozen” when her dad played the lead role.
Kelle Long was cast in “Fiddler on the Roof” in 2001. (Courtesy of Kelle Long)
“I remember asking my mom, ‘When do we get to do a play again?’”
That affinity lasted through nearly 20 SLT productions and Y.E.S. Troupe, life changes, moves from the Ozarks to L.A. and Washington D.C. And in none of those places did she find what she saw in SLT — experiences furthered by people like Domann and Lorianne Dunn, SLT’s education director.
“I was gone for 13 years and as soon as I moved back, I was like, ‘How can I get involved in Springfield Little Theatre again?’” Long says. “It’s just always stayed a part of my life.”
Despite the years she was involved, Long hadn’t learned all there was to glean from SLT.
“I've been a writer for a long time, but I wanted to do fiction writing, and so I reached out to Beth (Domann) and said, ‘You know, can you help me with my writing? I'd like to do humor.’
“She started helping me with these pieces, and she said, ‘You really need to write a play. You really need to write a play. You really need to write a play.’ And so last year, 2024, she really pushed me, and she was like, ‘I'm getting a grant. You're writing a play. We’re doing this.’”
And they did. Long’s production about the movie rating system was performed in February.
“There are just so many skills and experiences that you gain at Springfield Little Theatre that people carry through their lives, whether they stay in professional entertainment or not,” Long says, noting that friendships are another important takeaway, like when one of hers from SLT walked her mom down the aisle at Long’s wedding.
“It's such a supportive environment, and people really grow and learn and carry it with them. I'm just really proud to be involved in Springfield Little Theatre. I love it there.”
Want to learn more?
Springfield Little Theatre’s website shares information about upcoming shows and ways to get involved.
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