Profound time occurring for Florence Little Theatre

The genesis of community theater in the U.S. hails back to the Colonial and Revolutionary War era, though many of the details have not been well documented. By the early 1900s, however, there was a definite surge under way, with the European Art Theatre Movement serving as a major influence for what was happening in small communities across our youthful nation. The American Little Theatre Movement was so named because of the size of the playhouses being erected at that time. Their size might have been diminutive by European standards, but the spark these small theaters struck in the collective imaginations of Americans spread like wildfire in communities.

As World War I came to an end, a shift in American Little Theatre consciousness took place when playhouses increasingly ceased imitating high-art European theater and began focusing instead on developing and spotlighting the talents of American playwrights. More than 100 community theaters were established in the two decades that followed, and Florence can be proud to have been a part of that renaissance.

When the Florence Little Theatre Guild presented its first play in 1939 at the home of Sanborn Chase — now the site of the Florence Museum on Spruce Street — it was the beginning of one of the longest-running productions in local history. That embryonic version of Florence Little Theatre has developed through the years into a Pee Dee institution, entertaining audiences with memorable performances, and sometimes spawning national talent from the local acting pools.

FLT has evolved through the decades, its members and supporters using whatever available facilities and resources they could, no matter how meager or temporary. When the doors to a new 400-seat facility were opened in 1968 on Old Timmonsville Highway (now South Cashua Drive), it represented years of effort, dedication and an abiding belief in the value of artistic expression and sharing. FLT finally had a home of its own.

Forty years later, FLT is once again on the cusp of significant change. When the curtain falls on Saturday night’s musical tribute, history will be made: It will be the last time audiences will fill the building and the last time an FLT performance will grace the stage. Chairs will be removed Monday in preparation for the move to a new, state-of-the-art facility that is nearing completion on South Dargan Street.

It’s a happy transition that so many had a hand in. If you ever performed or assisted with a production there, took a summer class, contributed to a fundraiser or sat in the audience enjoying the unique magic of live theater, this move’s for you. It’s a profound time in the local arts community, a time to pause, give thanks and remember the good times while looking ahead to the ones to come.

The South Cashua Drive theater had a wonderful run, and we applaud all those who gave it life. Thanks for the memories!

Do you have special memories of Florence Little Theatre? We’d like to hear about them. Share your memories or photographs with us by sending them to Features Editor Libby Wiersema at , mailing them to her at Morning News, P.O. Box 100528, Florence, SC 29501-0528, or dropping them by the newsroom at 310 S. Dargan St. They will be used in an upcoming publication about Florence Little Theatre.