Beck Center for the ArtsJourney Back in Time with the Beck Center
Part 1: The Intrepid Little Theatre that Could
By Kelly Kutler
Whether you’ve been inspired by an art class or dazzled by a play, it would be nearly impossible to imagine life without the Beck. In celebration and recognition of the individuals whose passion and dedication started it all, the Beck Center invites you to take a journey back in Lakewood’s cultural history. President and CEO, Lucinda Einhouse, says she’s proud to share the inspiring history of Beck’s earliest years… “This is the story of people who not only created a thriving community theater from nothing, they used their passion for the theater to entertain and raise spirits during the most difficult times of depression and war.”
The Beck’s origins can be traced back to 1931, when eighteen devoted thespians, known as “the Guild of the Masques,” were rehearsing plays in Lakewood living rooms. Under the direction of London-trained director, Richard Kay, the Guild performed wherever they could, including Lakewood schools and churches. By 1933, they leased an old blacksmith’s shop, where they eventually tore down a wall, built a new stage, and installed theater quality seats to accommodate sold-out crowds. It seemed like they had found a home.
The Guild took its next momentous step on May 12, 1933 when it changed its name and incorporated into the not-for-profit arts organization, Lakewood Little Theatre. Shortly after, the group received a devastating blow when the Lakewood Fire Department turned them out of the old blacksmith shop for code violations. Ultimately undeterred, the players again took their shows on the road. In 1934, Lakewood Little Theatre became known for its radio dramatizations, including the story of the Red Cross and Clara Barton. During the Depression, local papers followed the company as it played for free to “vast armies of the unemployed” throughout Cuyahoga County.
In fact, Lakewood Little Theatre’s reputation for civic responsibility earned the players their next home at the Lakewood Elks Club. The situation was less than ideal. Sets had to be assembled at other locations and literally carried to the Elks Club in pieces. Local undertakers were called on to provide extra seats. Patrons were routinely turned away from sold-out shows. But tenacity won the day. For three years, Lakewood Little Theatre staged up to ten productions each season at the Elks Club. They performed a rich variety of quality drama to appreciative crowds and rave reviews.
Behind the scenes, however, a group of Lakewood women had bigger ambitions for their beloved little theatre. Observing that the situation at the Elks Club was not sustainable, these determined ladies stepped in and formed The Lakewood Little Theatre Women’s Committee in February 1936. Establishing themselves as a formidable force in fundraising and subscription sales, the committee boasted a closed membership of sixty women with an extensive waiting list.
Not to be outdone by the ladies’ efforts, local businessmen soon formed the Lakewood Little Theatre’s Men’s Advisory Board and began to search in earnest for a permanent venue. After rejecting several sites, the Lucier Motion Picture Theater became available for lease with an eventual option to buy. The fact that the Lucier was in need of extensive and costly renovations was no obstacle. Despite the Great Depression, the members of the Women’s and Men’s Committees set the goal of raising $10,000 to give Lakewood Little Theatre its first genuine home.
“Times were different then,” says Lee Mackey, wife of the late Karl Mackey, Beck Center’s Main Stage namesake. “We didn’t have television and the theater was quite important to everyone. People volunteered so much of their time and put such love into it.” Indeed, the glamorous ladies of the Women’s Committee were 1936’s answer to television as the press reported on what they wore and where they vacationed. Famous for their sophisticated and floral themed fundraising teas, the ladies graciously opened their homes and welcomed the attention that ultimately led to more dollars for their cause.
On May 7, 1938, the Tulip Teas and tireless subscription drives paid off. That evening, the curtain rose on the Lakewood Little Theatre’s first production in their renovated home. The sold-out crowd of black-tied and top-hatted dignitaries enjoyed Fred Ballard’s Ladies of the Jury on a beautifully lit, fifty-foot stage. Acknowledging that the theater had struggled for eight years against nearly insurmountable odds, Mayor Amos I. Kaufmann declared it “Lakewood Little Theatre Week.” His formal proclamation stated that “The appreciation and development of the drama is a fine and essential activity in any well rounded community.”
Within days, Cleveland papers were splashed with headlines touting the Theater’s great success. In its first week alone, Lakewood Little Theatre had already drawn 2,265 patrons. Far from resting on its laurels, the company planned an ambitious succession of seasons featuring new shows nearly every six weeks. Auditions often attracted up to three hundred aspiring artists. The Women’s Committee continued its tradition of selling subscriptions over sumptuous teas, while the Men’s Board raised cash and painted sets.
In 1942, the War effort deprived the little theatre of approximately fifty of its regular contributors, including long-time director, Richard Kay. Once again, difficult circumstances inspired rather than defeated the group. The Women’s Committee devoted October of 1942 to sponsoring a massive scrap metal drive in the theater lobby. Calling for all Lakewoodites to donate their “luxury scrap metal,” the Women’s popular slogan read “Heirlooms and nicknacks of the past will make planes, ships and ammunitions for the future of America.”
Remarkably, the shortage of wartime materials and manpower didn’t hinder ticket sales or audience enthusiasm. In 1944, the group purchased the Lucier Theater, enjoyed one of its busiest seasons and began talking of expansion. Having achieved one seemingly impossible dream, the Lakewood Little Theatre became determined to carry their passion for drama beyond producing plays. Their vision for the future involved providing theater education to the community’s youth.
What were the first steps in developing the educational programming that the Beck Center is known for today? And what did the future hold for the ever adventurous little theatre? Stay tuned for the next chapters, when the Beck will take a look at the creation of the Children's Theater and the exciting years of expansion and growth that followed the War. In the meantime, visit www.beckcenter.org for a current list of shows and programs.