Lakeside Theatre

The Lakeside Theatre (commonly branded as the RFA Lakeside Theater) is a community performing arts venue located at 2493 Main Street in downtown Rangeley, Maine, United States. It is owned and operated by the Rangeley Friends of the Arts (RFA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1968. The theater serves as the RFA's permanent home after years of renting venues, and it hosts a year-round program of live theater, concerts, film festivals, comedy, and community events. The venue also includes the Lakeside Contemporary Art Gallery, which presents rotating exhibitions. The theater is the focal point of the RFA's mission to "bring the ARTS to life" in the Rangeley region. Its programming spans musical productions, plays, storytelling performances, and a summer concert series that has run since 1969. The RFA also uses the theater for educational initiatives, including drama camps, school performances, and workshops for students at Rangeley Lakes Regional School. The venue is available for rent and is described by the RFA as the only fully functioning auditorium space in the area. As a nonprofit community asset, the Lakeside Theatre relies on donations, sponsorships, and grants from organizations such as the Maine Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and local charitable trusts. It is not a commercial cinema chain or a for-profit entertainment brand; rather, it is a mission-driven arts venue that serves both residents and visitors to the Rangeley Lakes region.

The Lakeside Theatre is the physical home of the Rangeley Friends of the Arts (RFA), a nonprofit organization established in 1968 in Rangeley, Maine. The RFA began by sponsoring a Summer Concert Series in 1969, which grew from a small program into a twenty-event summer season featuring classical, country, Broadway, and bluegrass artists, as well as movies. In 1975, the RFA expanded its programming to include performances for local youth, and in 1985 this effort became a full school series with workshops and seminars. The organization also initiated a Student Lesson Program in 1980 and awarded its first arts scholarship in 1988. The RFA produced its first local musical in 1976, a condensed version of a Broadway show, and has since staged numerous full-length musicals and plays involving community members of all ages. Educational programs expanded over the decades: Drama Camp for grades 2–6 began in 2009, Teen Drama Week for grades 7–12 was added in 2013, the Westerhoff-RFA Music Camp for ages 8–18 started in 2016, and the free Creative After-School Arts (CASA) program for grades 5–12 was instituted in 2017. For many years, the RFA rented various venues for its performances. Eventually, it acquired a permanent home at 2493 Main Street in downtown Rangeley, which became the RFA Lakeside Theater. The venue includes the Lakeside Contemporary Art Gallery and serves as the region's primary auditorium space. The theater hosts a wide range of events, including live theater (e.g., "Chicago," "The Mousetrap," "DIVA"), concerts, film festivals, comedy shows, and community gatherings. The RFA continues to operate the theater as part of its mission to bring the arts to life for residents and visitors of the Rangeley Lakes region.

• 2017

  Free Creative After-School Arts (CASA) program instituted for grades 5–12.

• 2016

  Westerhoff-RFA Music Camp for ages 8–18 launched.

• 2013

  Teen Drama Week for grades 7–12 added.

• 2009

  Drama Camp for grades 2–6 introduced.

• 1988

  First arts scholarship awarded to a graduating senior.

• 1985

  Youth program expands to a full school series with workshops and seminars.

• 1980

  Student Lesson Program initiated to assist with private arts instruction.

• 1976

  First local musical production performed by RFA.

• 1975

  RFA expands programming to include performances for local youth.

• 1969

  RFA sponsors its first Summer Concert Series.

• 1968

  Rangeley Friends of the Arts (RFA) established.

A nonprofit community arts venue and the only fully functioning auditorium space in the Rangeley region, offering year-round live entertainment and arts education.

• Live theater productions

  Full-length musicals and plays, including annual community productions.

• Summer Concert Series

  A twenty-event summer program featuring classical, country, Broadway, and bluegrass music.

• Lakeside Contemporary Art Gallery

  Rotating exhibitions space within the theater.

• Film festivals

  Independent film series and Maine Outdoor Film Fest.

• Comedy shows

  Live comedy events, such as with Brian Glowacki.

• Educational programs

  Drama camps, music camps, after-school arts, and scholarships.

1. 1Home Page New Oct 2025 - Rangeley Maine Events and Concerts - Rangeley Friends of the Artsrangeleyarts.org
2. 2Rangeley Freinds of the Arts Historyrangeleyarts.org
3. 3About Rangeley Friends of the Artsrangeleyarts.org
4. 4What does the RFA in Rangeley Maine do? School programs, concerts, theater, dance, musicrangeleyarts.org
5. 5Lakeside Theatrewikidata.org