St. Petersburg City Theatre marks centennial amid hurricane recovery
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A collage of photos, programs and newspaper clips from the St. Petersburg City Theatre archives. Photo: Kathryn Varn/Axios
Smack in the middle of its centennial season, Hurricane Milton's record-breaking winds blew a chunk of the roof off St. Petersburg City Theatre.
- Rain drenched the stage and flooded the green room. Murky water sloshed around a back hallway lined with cinderblocks decorated with the names of plays and musicals staged there over the years.
- And that ordeal was just in the last six months.
Why it matters: The community theater turned a century old this year, having weathered wars, financial woes and more to provide entertainment, education and a creative outlet for a community that has seen its own share of change.
The big picture: A community theater — which, unlike a professional company, relies largely on local volunteer talent — doesn't make it to 100 without a little bit of improv and a whole lot of heart. The theater's troupe of actors, directors, stage hands and supporters over the years have had plenty of both.
- During World War II, the theater stayed open and became a haven for soldiers passing through the area who wanted to relax with a show or blow off steam by performing in one themselves.
- When the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered institutions across the world, the theater pivoted "The Hound of Baskervilles" to a staged radio show that allowed actors to distance themselves while performing for a limited audience.
- And when one of the strongest hurricanes on record peeled off the roof like a tin can, the theater's deep network of supporters descended on the building to wipe away the muck and start fundraising for a new roof that was installed hours before opening night of "White Christmas."
What they're saying: "Resilience is the story of our theater," said current board of directors president Stefanie Lehmann, who looked to the past for inspiration on how to move forward from Milton's wrath.
- "They always found a way to keep the doors open," she said.
Flashback: The theater began in 1925 as the Sunshine City Players, founded by members of the St. Petersburg Woman's Club, according to newspaper archives and the theater's historic timeline.
- In 1933, with 50 members, the name changed to the St. Petersburg Little Theatre, a nod to the American Little Theatre Movement that took off in the early 20th century. The group incorporated as a nonprofit in 1937.
- They first staged productions at Mirror Lake Junior High, then at a former grist mill at the edge of Historic Kenwood. The theater opened at its current location off 31st Street South in 1958, and the shows have gone on there ever since.
The latest: As part of the centennial, theater leaders had saved money to revamp the aging building with new lights, seats and more, Lehmann said.
- Instead, it's tied up in repairs for the $450,000 in damage caused by Milton — including $250,000 for the new roof.
Yes, but: Despite the challenges, the centennial season has continued as planned and will wrap this weekend with the last three showings of "Sister Act" (of which your author is a cast member).
- More than a building, current and former theater participants say, it's the people who keep it going.
The bottom line: "You put a bunch of theater people together," Lehmann said, "and it's magic."