Salina Post proudly presents Flashback Friday in partnership with the Smoky Hill Museum. Enjoy a weekly tidbit of local history from the staff at Salina Post and the Smoky Hill Museum as we present "Salina-Flashback Fridays."
By SALINA POST
It’s another packed house at Theatre Salina. The audience, ripe with anticipation, suspends disbelief to enter a different time and place. On a Friday or Saturday night the sounds of laughter, resounding applause, tearful sniffles, and gasps of astoundment are all too common at Theatre Salina's Kephart Stage.
Theatrical productions have a long history in the Salina community. Staged at the large opera houses, plays, musical acts, and dance revues came to Salina as traveling shows.
In 1960 Salina saw its first community-produced show using local actors, directors, and stagehands. The non for profit group, the Salina Community Theatre Association was born. The organization's first hire was Charles Kephart.
A Salina native and graduate of Salina High School, Kephart served in the Air Force from 1950 to 1954. According to a video interview with Kephart published on Theatre Salina's website, he attended Kansas Wesleyan University.
"We had the GI Bill and I'd never been to college," Kephart said. "I had a class in speech and drama and I got into a play and I thought my gosh, this was a lot of fun."
After completing his undergraduate degree, Kephart attended the University of Kansas to study theatre before returning to Salina.
Community theatre wasn't a new concept for Salina. Since 1935 "The Curtain Callers" held theatre performances at various places around town.
"It was a group like so many communities have where people who are interested in plays will get together once or twice a year," Kephart said. "Jerry always had the idea that there was much more potential to the Theatre than just getting together once or twice a year."
By 1968, the theatre board realized that it needed its own building. The Theatre raised $213,000 for construction and equipment.
"In 1972, when the Kephart Theatre was built, was a seminal moment in our organization," Spicer said. "When you have a home where people can find you, and you're consistently there, you begin to build a production motif that makes sense for you."
With its new building,and construction finished, the theatre was able to create higher-level productions and reach new heights. In 1985, Charles was inducted into the Kansas Theatre Hall of Fame. Then in 1992, through the generosity of local donors, the Lesta Vanier Wing was built.
READ MORE: 📸 Flashback Friday: Salina Post - Memorial Hall - Vol. 25
"The Lesta Vanier Wing increased the capacity of the theater and made us produce more," Spicer said. " We added a scene shop, costume shop, a rehearsal room and offices."
Charles retired in 1995, leaving it in the temporary hands of Tim Jebsen for two years before Spicer became executive director in 1997. During his retirement, Kephart served on the Kansas Arts Commission and the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission. He was also a major player in the restoration of Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts and served on the theater's first board of directors.
Kephart, died on July 27, 2013, leaving behind a legacy of championship for the arts, especially community theatre.
Theatre Salina has supported children’s programming since its origin. . Classes available at the Center for Theare Arts have expanded to include theatre classes, vocal, music theatre and dance classes for all ages. According to a CTA brochure, it is the only performing arts academy between Topeka and Denver.
In 2001, the theater was the national winner of the Association American Association of Community Theaters Festival with its production of "Wit" and that same year received the Governor's Arts Award.
In 2011, the theatre's board of directors decided it was time to expand.
“When we built this building, we hoped we would grow registration from 50 to maybe 150 student registrations a year. Well, we've been consistently at 350 student registrations for several years now,” Spicer said.
A new education wing, a larger costume storage area, two dance studios, The Sunflower Financial Theatre, and more offices and storage space were added to the theatre's existing location on 303 East Iron Ave.
Theatre Salina shows 14 original productions each year — seven on the main stage, four Center for Theatre Arts Education shows, an original choreography production and a new "After Dark" series for 2024.
"After Dark" plans to challenge actors on the stage with newer and more challenging scripts.
The theatre group also partners with Salina Symphony and Kansas Wesleyan University to provide various productions annually.