Page 71 - South Mississippi Living - December, 2016

GIVING BACK action
IP Casino Resort Spa presenting check to Biloxi Little Theatre
Biloxi Little Theatre
220 Lee St., Biloxi 228.432.8543 • www.4blt.org
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos courtesy of Biloxi Little Theatre and IP Casino Resort Spa
In response to a need for a live performing arts theatre, local thespians and theatre-lovers banded together to form The Little Theatre of Biloxi. The first production, a play called Love from a Stranger, put the theatre on the map, and gave the members the courage to continue pursing their dream. Though they didn’t yet have a building, they put
on their productions at whatever venues became available and proved that the theatre was about the people, not the building.
That was in 1946, and now 70 years later, the theatre is still going strong. Though under a different name, the Biloxi Little Theatre (BLT) has continued to provide the Coast with quality live theatrical productions. “You don’t just come in, buy your ticket and sit down at Biloxi Little Theatre,” said Leonie Johnston, president of the BLT board of directors. “The performances and theatre are an entire experience.”
During the theatre’s 2015-16 season, which runs August- July, BLT celebrated seven decades worth of live theatrical entertainment. “We are very, very proud to reach this milestone,” Johnston said. “Lots of work went into the past 70 years, I can promise you that.”
Throughout the season, BLT celebrated their success with their “Biloxi Little Theatre is Going Platinum” theme. “It’s been a wonderful year,” Johnston said. “We kicked off the season with our musical, The Wiz, and then we had our four season shows, plus several fundraisers. Our ‘Gleeful Celebration,’ held in April, raised over $30,000 for pediatric AIDS research at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.”
In the coming years, Biloxi Little Theatre aims to enrich the community through their talents and philanthropic efforts as they have since their humble beginnings in 1946.
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net December 2016 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 71