Marshfield, MO | Marshfield Community Theatre is excited to announce that they will enter their 20th season of shows starting in January of 2023.
This monumental time in MCT’s history is due in large part to the support of their community, said MCT’s Marketing Director, Kelby Lorenz.
“Our community is the reason that we’re here,” he said. “From them buying tickets to donating time and money to taking classes and more, they’re the reason that we can stand here and say we’ve made it this far.”
The 20th season in 2023 is also MCT’s biggest season to date, with 7 productions slated to take the stage. The season includes:
- Almost, Maine from Feb. 16-18 as a fundraiser for the Education Department’s scholarship funds
- The Great Gatsby from April 13-16, based on the classic literary novel
- Hello, Dolly! from June 22-25, which is the first time MCT has repeated a show from their historical lineup
- The Little Mermaid, Jr. from July 6-9, based on the Disney animated movie
- Peter Pan, Jr. from Sept. 28-30 and Oct. 5-7, which will be the Education Department’s yearly educational institute
- Night of the Living Dead from Oct. 27-29 and on Oct. 31, based on the cult-classic film
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever from Dec. 7-9, which is another show pulled back into rotation from MCT’s history
Looking Back at 20 Years
MCT got its start back in 2002, when Nicholas Inman gathered a group within the Marshfield community — including Jo Walker, Connie Toler, Martha Foglesong, Sandee DePriest, Carolyn Thompson and Susie Knust — to create a community theatre and performance society, aptly named the Marshfield Performing Arts Society. It would stay MPAS for 10 years, until the 2012 Board of Directors voted to change the organization’s name to Marshfield Community Theatre to “better reflect the group’s theatrical focus” according to their website.
Everything started with one event, a small fundraiser called a Night with Gershwin, a variety show that gathered a crowd of 500 and paved the way for a future of quality productions.
Over 60 productions later, MCT is currently set up to continue growing and providing entertainment, education and enrichment opportunities for their entire community.
Not Stopping Soon
A milestone like this is special for any business or organization, but for a not-for-profit theatre company like MCT, it’s a large accomplishment. Most similar organizations don’t get to this moment, with 30 percent of not-for-profit organizations shuttering their doors after just 10 years, according to an article from NANOE, a nationwide network of nonprofit executives.
For people like Kelby, that makes this season extra special.
“Imagine, us, a small-town not-for-profit theatre troupe, being here after 20 years,” he said. “That shows how importance the arts are to our community, and it’s the reason we are committed to radical growth in the next few years.”
And growth does seem to be at the forefront of MCT’s organizational mindset.
Within the last few years, MCT has created a new Education Department to provide opportunities for students and adults to learn more about theatre and set up a dedicated membership committee to provide quality service and management of their yearly members.
Looking ahead of 2023, MCT has already created a new Development Department to increase capital funds through fundraising and grant writing, as well as a new media department to provide opportunities for people to learn about photography, filmmaking and digital content creation.
Toni Lorenz, MCT’s new Director of Development, is excited for this time of growth at MCT and her new position within the organization. She has talked about MCT’s work to become more structured as an organization to set up future growth.
“While there was always structure, we are really working on that now.” she said. “We want to solidify everything that we have been and turn it into something that we can grow over the next twenty years.”
With 19 seasons under their belt, the leadership team at MCT is excited to see what 2023 brings, as well as the next 20 years being their community’s Theatre with Heart.
To learn more about MCT and their 20th season, visit marshfieldtheatre.org.
About Marshfield Community Theatre
Marshfield Community Theatre is a non-profit organization located in Marshfield, Missouri, that provides a creative outlet for the performing arts in their community through entertaining live-theatre productions, produced by volunteers putting their heart in every show.