| ...it was 1932, and a
young school teacher, just out of college, sat with friends on a
curbside and dreamed - dreamed of a community playhouse where wonderful
plays could be performed by eager non-professionals. Live theater had
become a rarity in Alton, and achieving such a dream seemed an unlikely
prospect. But the young teacher was Dorothy Colonius, and she was
determined to see that the dream take substance. "My father has a barn
where we can build scenery, " she said, "And there must be lots of
places where we could perform." So it happened. In 1933 a small, dedicated group of like-minded people officially established Alton Little Theater and planned to perform four one-act plays. Encouraged by the community's response, the tiny group staged an old-fashioned melodrama the next year. The show, "Little Nell", left ALT with a $359 debt that Dorothy somehow made good. And the dreamers kept going...since ALT had no real home, Little Theater members trudged from place to place - from basements to attics to living rooms - to rehearse, and productions were staged at the Alton City Hall, the Masonic Temple, and the YMCA, until finally settling in on the Alton High Scholl auditorium for many years. In 1936, Dorothy became the 'temporary' director of the organization - a post she held until her death in 1979. From its meager beginning, Alton Little Theater has made slow yet steady progress, first buying and building a permanent home, aptly named the "Showplace" at 2450 North Henry in 1960. They then worked to pay off that mortgage in ten years and added the current auditorium Theater in 1971. ALT has produced over 400 shows in the last seventy-five years, and at this time of anniversary celebration, ALT members re-commit to keeping Dorothy's dreams alive and pay tribute to all of the early members who demonstrated determination, stamina, and pioneering spirit - qualities that certainly helped to bring Alton Little Theater to this 75th anniversary spotlight! |
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