Curtain's Up, Light the Lights

From recent beginnings to almost 50 years of tradition, theater roots hold strong in Northeast Michigan with community and professional stages attracting audiences and organizers alike.

Alpena Civic Theater began as a community group discussion, playing in school auditoriums, churches and the movie theater before moving to its permanent home on River Street.

The heart of the theater is, and has always been, built on volunteers.

“We have some very, very committed volunteers,” said membership president Marlys Schultz.

Schultz became involved with the theater when her son was in a couple productions. She also had a part in one.

“I had such a good time I decided to join,” Schultz said.

The theater puts on four shows from fall to spring, taking the summer off. Schultz said the last several years have started with a musical in the fall and the theater tries to offer a variety of shows to the community.

While the theater always welcomes new volunteers, the organization has a wealth of volunteers to draw from for set and costume construction, lighting, sound, actors and directors.

“It’s nice to have people we can count on for talent,” Schultz said.

She added the theater welcomes people with much, little or no experience, and is willing to work with people.

“We always try to put on the best production,” Schultz said.

With theater thriving in Alpena, a new group emerged to put on summer productions and bring in professional actors. The Thunder Bay Theater purchased the old Alpena Candy and Cigar Warehouse in 1983.

The summer theater expanded to run year round, continuing to bring in paid actors who live above the theater.

“We’re a stepping stone on their way,” said Thunder Bay Theatre President Maggie Lamb.
Lamb has been involved in theater since high school, and has been a TBT board member since 1990.

“(My husband) and I enjoy the arts,”Lamb said. “It’s in my blood.”

Lamb said many of the actors have, or are working on, theater degrees and come from across the country, changing from season to season.

For larger productions, the theater augments the company with local volunteers, both on and behind the scenes.

“We have some talented people right here,” Lamb said. She added the professional theater interns area youths to help them improve and consider theater careers.

In addition to regular performances, the theater offers children’s shows in the spring and fall, and offer classes, like makeup, singing and acting.

Though a professional theater, it is also nonprofit and funds generated pay the actors’ salaries and improvements to the building, including a new lighting system purchased with a grant from Besser Company, theater funds and funds donated by patrons.
The newest community theater is in Rogers City, which completed its first production this past fall.

“We’re just having a good time,” said Rogers City Theater owner Karl Heidemann, adding Rogers City Community Theater is an informal organization. “There’s no rules, we just do it.”

Heidemann owns the movie theater, which also has been transformed to host staged productions as well.

“I thought Rogers City needed a community theater,” he said.

Heidemann has appeared in several TBT productions as a volunteer, though the Rogers City production was his first time directing.

He added the dual theater offers many challenges, especially scheduling live productions, rehearsals and movie screenings. He added the movie screen was incorporated into the first show and the scenery could not be left on the stage between rehearsals, so it had to be rolled on and off.

“It forced us to be creative,” Heidemann said.

The high school also has benefited from the theater, and plans on two spring performances at the theater.

Heidemann is hoping to stage The Pajama Game in the fall, either directed by himself or another community member.