The Shreveport Little Theatre documentary will premiere on Louisiana Public Broadcasting

Meredith G. White, Shreveport Times
·2 min read

On Monday, Aug. 21 Louisiana Public Broadcasting will premiere the independent documentary Shreveport Little Theatre: Maker of Dreams that tells the fascinating story and 100-year history of this local gem.

For over a century, the historic community theatre in Northwest Louisiana has been dedicated to the production of live theatre while overcoming numerous obstacles along the way. From the hardships during the Great Depression and the impact of multiple wars to overcoming its own devastating fires and a pandemic, the Shreveport Little Theatre has showcased resilience and determination in the pursuit of artistic expression.

"Our founders Julia Rogers, Opal Allen and Olivia Woodley Parten fully understood what the Little Theatre Movement was about in America during the 1900s," said filmmaker Dr. Sherry J. Kerr. "These women were well-educated and determined. They saw theatre as creating art, but also as a civic duty. The founders also believed Shreveport would support a Little Theatre and they were right! Shreveport Little Theatre marched on, never missing a season where many theatres closed and reorganized."

Dr. Robert Darrow is a filmmaker and the Shreveport Little Theatre Managing and Artistic Director who is excited to share some of the theatre's interesting highlights in its history.

"Not many people know that the Shreveport Little Theatre holds a unique distinction of being the first theatre to produce live theatrical adaptations of Walt Disney's beloved animated features," explained Darrow.

Other interesting highlights include:

  • The search for an actress to play Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind brought a talent scout to the theatre. There, he discovered Marcella Martin who was later cast in the role of Cathleen Calvert.

  • Life Magazine named the theatre "one of the nation's top three community playhouses" in the 1950s.

  • In 1958, a young airman stationed at Barksdale Air Force Based stepped on stage for the first time in The Happiest Millionaire and Desk Set. That airman was future comedian George Carlin.

  • In 2021, former SLT Academy student and leading performer Zhailon Levingston made history by becoming the youngest Black director of a Broadway production directing Chicken & Biscuits.

Opening night at Shreveport Little Theatre and Academy of Little Woman.
Opening night at Shreveport Little Theatre and Academy of Little Woman.

Along with the premier on Monday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m., LPB will show an encore of the documentary on Thursday, Aug. 24 at 8 p.m. The film will then be available for on demand streaming for members with an LPC Passport membership. Viewers can also stream it live at the LPB website.

Meredith G. White is the arts and culture reporter for the Shreveport Times. You can find her on Facebook as Meredith G. White, on Instagram and Twitter as @meredithgwhite, and email her at mgwhite@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport Little Theatre celebrating 100 years with a documentary