For those who have lived in the area for the last 40 or so years, Lincoln County On-Stage (LCOS) has been a staple in the community. Many a person has stood on that stage or sat in the audience, enjoying “Annie,” “A Christmas Carol,” original productions and many more.
A new era of the nonprofit community theatre group is set to open as it works to move to a new location right in the heart of Chandler, directly on Route 66. LCOS was donated the Collar Building by Michael Bay and is now gathering the funds to complete renovations on the space.
For members of the board,themovehasbeena long time coming, with efforts beginning about two years ago, according to Mandy Myers. They had been looking into moving to the building and went through two grant cycles with the Route 66 Commission. After those rejections, they realized that wasn’t going to be a viable avenue.
“But we knew that we still had the same issues, the same need that we did before, and so we still needed to find a solution,” she said.
The board considered putting money back into their current space on Eighth Street. They’ve had an elevator fund that Myers jokingly said predated her, but it was a long-term goal. Add in needed renovations for the bathrooms, other significant improvements and that they would never fully own the building, it didn’t seem very viable either.
Myers said they went silent for a while before Bay came back to them and said that they needed to be in the Collar Building. With both grant applications, he was willing to donate the building contingent on the group receiving award money. He said he would donate it without.
“From my view, it’s really important when we have limited resources to make sure we use them properly,andwhenIheard they had a sizable amount of money to get started, I thought that money deserves a better shot than being in the back of an alley,” Bay said.
LCOS is working with Mass Architects, specifically Matthew Radcliffe, whose family has been involvedwiththecommunity theatre, to renovate the building. Plans so far (though they are subject to change) include a lobby with an art gallery, and a theatre that can fit around 120 or so. Behind the stage will be a green room for actors that includes changing rooms, makeup space and a bathroom.
They hope to bring in rotating displays from local artists for the gallery and possibly have a catering kitchen, so the space could play host to small weddings, showers and local events when a show isn’t going on. LCOS also hopes to partner with local high schoolers through an arts management internship, thatwouldhavethem managing the gallery during extended hours.
The biggest change, according to the board members, will be accessibility, which is something that has been at the forefront of their thoughts for awhile. The current location is on the second floor, making it difficult for those with mobility issues to get into the theater. They rely on an old elevator that used to move cars up and down back when the building was the Crane Motor Company in the early 1900s.
“One of our biggest motivators in moving is not just exposure, but accessibility for our current audience and for folks who maybe used to be part of our family but no longer come because even though we do have an access option for them, it’s cumbersome, it’s a little awkward, and we don’t ever want people to not join us because it’s a hassle,” Myers said.
There is currently not a set timeline for the move. The Board hopes to have construction documents ready by the end of summer, but the biggest question will be how much they can accomplish with the funds they have. They are open to and actively seeking people to partner with to go forward, as well as any donations from the community.
LCOS is also grateful for the time they’ve been in the Crane Building, their home since the 1980s.
“We’re grateful for everyone who has brought the organization to this point, but we want to continue serving, and we don’t feel that we can do that best in that space anymore,” Myers said. “Sowewanttonotchange who we are or what we do, but do it better and more fully.”
The move will help them continue producing the same scale and type of programming that LCOS is producing now, while also bringing additional series in as a producing agent, rather than taking on all of the creative production.
Board member Jessie Glover-McPherson hopes that by moving into and preserving another historic building -- especially after the recent demolition of the St. Cloud -- they are building a legacy that will last.
“It would be something special that 20 years from now, a kid comes back and he says, ‘Look, I performed in that theater,’” he said. “We can be that building that people talk about for decades.”