Okoboji Online Summer Theatre History

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The Okoboji Summer Theatre is located on Highway 71 between the towns of Okoboji, Iowa and Spirit Lake, Iowa in the Iowa Great Lakes region. It is owned and operated by Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri for the purpose of providing commercial summer stock experience for theatre students. Stephens College has one of the leading undergraduate theatre programs in the country, and 25-30 advance students are joined by professional staff to produce nine plays and musicals each summer. The plays run for seven performances in six days, Tuesday through Sunday, with Mondays as a changeover day for the next production. The season regularly averages a 98% attendance for the summer. The theatre is non-profit as part of Stephens College, with inco0mefrom tuition, box office and contributions from patrons. Tick prices in 1998, the 41st year of operation, are $10 for non-musicals, $12 for musicals, with senior and student 2-for-1 tickets at some performances.

The theatre relies on its local support group, the Summer Theatre Association.
Mailing Address: Box 341, Spirit Lake, Iowa 51360
Box office phone (summer only, beginning early June) (712) 332-7773
Winter address: Spephens College, Columbia Missouri 65215
Phone: (573) 876-7194

Stephens College began operating the Okoboji Summer Theatre in 1958 for the purpose of providing commercial summer stock experience for advanced theatre students. The theatre building, an airplane hangar built by the WPA for the City of Spirit Lake, had been converted into a proscenium type theatre by Grinneil College in 1953. Grinnell operated the theatre in 1954, but was unable to continue. A group of faculty and students from Carthage College rented the theatre and operated it in 1956. In 1957 the theatre was purchased from Grinnell by a group of Iowa Great Lakes area businessmen, and they circulated notices around the country to find a college interested in leasing the theatre. Stephens College, in Columbia, Missouri was looking for a theatre to train students in all aspects of theatre production. Stephens responded to the notice and leased the theatre for the summer of 1958. Ater a successful summer under the leadership of John Gunneil and Bill West, the program was incorporated into the BFA curriculum at Stephens and credit was granted to students for participation. In 1962 Stephens acquired ownership of the land and buildings. The theatre continued successfully in the following years, adding seating capacity, a children's theatre named the Boji Bantam, acquiring additional land and improving facilities. The total attendance since the opening of the theatre has reached more than 950,000 for the main bill and 118,000 for the Boji Bantam. In 1997 the theatre celebrated its 40th Anniversary.

The early local group of businessmen, named Lakes Community Educational Projects, Inc., has continued through the years as the Summer Theatre Association. This non-profit organization meets twice a year. It provides local support in many ways, sells discount booklets to raise funds for special theatre projects, and is the vital link between the community, the summer theatre and Stephens College.

Okoboji Online | Okoboji Summer Theatre | History