WHO WE ARE
What makes the Sun Lakes Community Theatre (SLCT) unique is that our entire membership is comprised of a very active and vital senior population, including retirees, veterans, and people with physical disabilities. We use our years of experience and expertise in the performing arts to give back to others. We do this by encouraging and inspiring not only other seniors but also younger generations; by sharing our love of theatre; promoting lifelong learning in performing arts; and opening opportunities for all generations to experience live theatre together.
Our membership includes many talented actors, directors, theatre technicians, and playwrights, who delight in entertaining and sharing their knowledge by teaching and mentoring others of all ages, entirely on a volunteer basis.
OUR MISSION
The mission of Sun Lakes Community Theatre (SLCT):
provide live theatre produced by residents of all phases of the Sun Lakes communities
provide specialized productions for targeted audiences
create educational opportunities for residents to develop and enhance relevant skills
support the development of live theatre in the surrounding community
WHAT WE DO
In line with our mission, our programming and services cover a broad-spectrum of theatre arts, extending far beyond our live performances for Sun Lakes audiences, serving the youngest to the oldest generations. Targeting multi-generational communities in surrounding areas, we offer special performances for other nearby retirement neighborhoods, assisted-living and nursing homes, civic organizations, and promote enduring interest in the performing arts to K-12 student populations.
As a full-service community theatre, SLCT typically performs three productions to sell-out audiences, with each full-scale play running for five performances, with approximately 2,000 tickets sold annually.
SLCT delights children at over 20 schools annually, at no charge to the schools, by bringing live theater to their schools through specialized productions for Kindergarten and first grades that reinforce Arizona K-12 School Standards. We also provide their K-1 classroom teachers with grade-appropriate follow-on classroom learning activities and suggestions. We also support high school drama departments, encouraging exploration of careers in performing arts and offering opportunities to perform for and with SLCT.
To encourage our membership to continue to develop and enhance their skills, we offer classes to meet the needs of the beginner as well as the advanced actor. We also offer workshops to stimulate interest in and enhance knowledge of stage lighting and sound as well as set design and construction.
SLCT’s traveling improv troupe typically performs six times per year, bringing hilarious entertainment to Sun Lakes audiences as well as to civic, corporate, and social organizations, nursing homes. The troupe, called the ImproVables, also participate in multi-generational improv performances at Community Colleges and provide free benefit performances each year.
OUR BEGINNINGS
From its inception during the early 1980’s when a small group of talented thespians wanted to continue using their talents during retirement, SLCT has expanded its scope and outreach to achieve its present status as a vibrant and respected community theatre that presents full-scale theatrical productions.
Becoming an official organization in 1988, “The Little Theatre”, as it was originally called, held its first performances in an empty space at Sun Lakes Mall. By 1994, the organization had outgrown the space, changed its name to Sun Lakes Community Theatre (SLCT), and moved most of its performances to the stage of the San Tan Ballroom at Cottonwood Country Club. Dinner theatre shows have also been the ballroom at the Oakwood Country Club.
Today, SLCT has become a 501c3 non-profit corporation with an active membership that represents the senior population of the Sun Lakes communities, including experienced as well as aspiring actors, directors, and technical and backstage crews who are all volunteers. As mentioned, our membership includes retirees, veterans, and handicapped seniors who love to perform for not only the five communities (16,000 households) within Sun Lakes, but also for multi-generational demographics of nearby communities.
The proceeds earned from our ticket sales have enhanced our performances and included items and services such as the purchase and upgrading of lighting and sound equipment, portable risers to accommodate increased audience seating, and provided specialized hearing devices to assist the hearing impaired.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
The Sun Lakes Community Theatre is open to anyone in Sun Lakes who has an interest in theatre, not just on stage, but in supporting activities such as light, sound, costume, props and backstage crews as well. Our general meetings include social, business and entertainment or educational
