The Show Must Go On Again

Several wings were added during the 1960s for dressing rooms, costume creation and maintenance, a rehearsal hall, a set-building shop, and the formal Council Green Room. Space is also used for the classes LTA conducts for children and adults in a variety of performance-related disciplines.

Presidents have played their own role at LTA, Hale said. "When the second Bush administration first came in, President Bush's sister-in-law Maggie Bush, an actress who is very close to Laura, was cast in a play," Neil Simon's "Proposals,", Hale said. "Laura decided she wanted to see the play, and so George did, too. What happened was that it became a huge buzz in The Post Style section because the president had not been out much at that point, not even to the Kennedy Center. After that, it seemed like every Republican couldn't buy enough tickets, and the show sold out. After that, the theater really took off."

LTA has remained unusually stable over the years, with ticket sales usually approaching 100 percent for musicals, 93 percent to 97 percent for comedies, and 80 percent for dramas. The theater has an annual operating budget of $490,000. Treasurer Doyle said accepting credit cards at the box office some years ago helped increase the group's financial stability, as has a gradual transformation from a dues-paying organization of 1,200 members to one relying on season subscriptions.

There are still 400 base members, however, and they actively support the theater. That's especially important in the current economy when most theaters are suffering from lagging ticket sales. When LTA's board of governors recently decided the 17-year-old theater seats were noisily wearing out, they put out a call for donations rather than tap into operating funds. In a short time, they had almost $40,000, and the new plum-colored, non-squeaking seats are in place to welcome patrons when "1776" opens.

Unlike most community-based theater groups, LTA does not accept government grants. Archivist Smith-Salmon noted that past fundraising activities included such undertakings as elaborate masked balls, square dances and art shows.

Shows run Wednesdays through Sundays for the public, with tickets ranging from $15 to $21, but LTA also has a public service effort on Tuesday nights "to give back to the community," as explained by current president Carolyn Winters. "On Tuesday nights, we have nonprofit nights," she said. "Nonprofit organizations buy tickets at reduced rates, then sell them to their members and supporters at higher rates as a fundraiser. It has been a very successful program and has helped many local organizations over the years."

Despite the fact that the artistic and technical quality of LTA's shows is occasionally quite high, and usually good, Little Theatre of Alexandria is classified as a community theater because it does not pay its actors. Even though LTA has a permanent theater facility and a small paid staff, even though it pays musicians who perform in musicals and enjoys a large, permanent group of active members, the "community" status signals "amateur time" to some.

But sometimes, the Alexandria group can outpace its better-known, big-time rivals in the professional world. A few years ago, LTA produced a version of the musical "Cabaret" that was quite dark and edgy, and definitely not for the kids. It was hailed by critics as stunning and moving. Shortly afterward, the District's nationally recognized Arena Stage produced the same show, also promising to be dark and edgy. To many of those who saw LTA's version, Arena's production was lackluster.

Regardless of what is happening on the stage, the narrow hallways and smallish rooms backstage buzz with activity. While one show is onstage, one or two more may already be rehearsing out of sight of the audience. Sets are being designed, along with lighting and sound elements.

Backstage last week, the impression was of an assembly line. "When a show closes on a Saturday night, on Sunday the cast and crew strike the set," said Frank D. Shutts II, a former LTA president who is directing "1776." "Usually on Monday, we begin building for the next show, and we only have two to three weeks to build it before final rehearsal week gets underway onstage for the next show."

A downside to the tight schedule is that the theater has no opportunity to extend a hit show and sell more tickets.

As it embarks on its 75th year, one LTA custom is missing. "It's been a tradition forever, but no one seemed to actually like the punch," said Carolyn Winters, laughing. "It has actually caused controversy because the newer volunteers for ushers didn't want to make the punch, didn't want to serve the punch and didn't want to clean up after the sticky punch. We finally decided this past season to see what would happen if we did away with the punch. Some of the older members were a bit upset, but now that everybody has seen how clean the kitchen is, and this is the first time we don't have ants in the kitchen, where the punch gets all over everything, the change seems to be working."

No punch. Bottled water. Progress after 75 years.