Ouachita Little Theatre

Ouachita Little Theatre (OLT) is a non-profit community theatre organization based in Mena, Arkansas, dedicated to providing quality entertainment to the citizens of the Ouachita Mountain region. Founded in 1979 by Leda Benson, an experienced thespian who gathered other interested locals to begin putting on plays, OLT has grown into a well-known regional theatre across Arkansas. Since 1985 it has made its permanent home in the historic Lyric Theatre building at 610 Mena Street, a structure originally built as a movie house in 1923. The theatre is entirely managed by volunteers and non-professionals; no one is paid for their service, though some volunteers bring varying levels of professional experience that have raised the level of excellence over the years. OLT is governed by an elected Board of Directors, including officers, and operates under an updated constitution. Its season is built around four or five plays a year, including a musical, with additional productions from two subgroups and occasional rentals that bring professional musicians or entertainers from other areas of the country. OLT is known across Arkansas for staging recognized Broadway musical shows, popular comedies, moving dramas, and special performances from guest artists. The organization strives to bring material that is meaningful, sometimes thought-provoking, often hilarious, and always entertaining to its community. The historic Lyric building itself has a rich past: it opened on October 1, 1923, was built and owned by Mr. Price McCall, showed silent movies for seven years, was equipped with sound in 1930, and hosted live appearances by locally born radio and movie celebrities Lum and Abner, including the 1940 premiere of their first movie, Dreaming Out Loud, which drew over 3,500 people. The Lyric continued as Mena's only movie theater until 1982 and also doubled as a live performance venue on Saturday nights. In 2023 OLT celebrated the 100th birthday of the Lyric Theatre.

The building now housing Ouachita Little Theatre, known as The Lyric, was originally built as a movie house. The Lyric had three other locations before the current one. The first Lyric opened in Mena on Monday, September 12, 1909. The third building burned in a fire on January 27, 1922. After the fire, the building where OLT presently resides at 610 Mena Street opened on Monday, October 1, 1923. It was owned and built by Mr. Price McCall, who also ran a laundry. For seven years The Lyric showed only silent movies. In 1930 it was equipped with sound and introduced the community to the theater's first "talkie", the 1929 hit with Al Jolson, Say It With Songs. Eleven years later, locally born radio and movie celebrities Lum and Abner appeared live on its stage three different times to promote their movies. They showcased the premiere of their first movie, Dreaming Out Loud, on Friday, September 6, 1940. It caused a lot of excitement in the Polk County area at the time, with over 3,500 people in attendance. With several different ownerships, The Lyric continued as Mena's only movie theater until 1982. For several years during this period, it also doubled as a movie house and a live theater featuring performances on Saturday nights. Local performers would gather outside and around the corner from The Lyric and put on impromptu shows. Local resident and historian the late Roy Vail, along with Jay Rodgers, introduced a similar theme for performers to showcase their talents once a month and called it Saturday Night at the Lyric. That tradition continued for several years as the 20th century came to a close. Ouachita Little Theatre was founded in 1979 by Leda Benson. She was an experienced thespian who found other interested people and began putting on plays in the local Mena area. OLT is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing quality entertainment to citizens of the Ouachita Mountain region. The Old Lyric Theatre, built as a movie house in 1923, became the permanent home for OLT in 1985. Since that time, there have been countless theatrical presentations on the stage, primarily showcasing local talent in live performances. OLT is well known across Arkansas for staging recognized Broadway musical shows, popular comedies, moving dramas, and even special performances from guest artists. The foundation of the OLT theater season is based on four or five plays a year, including a musical, with a sprinkling of productions from two subgroups. OLT is also open to rentals which can bring in professional musicians or entertainers from other areas of the country. The theatre is totally managed by volunteers and non-professionals; some volunteers have had varying levels of professional experience, which has raised the level of excellence over the years, but no one is paid for their service. OLT is governed by an elected Board of Directors, including officers, and operates under an updated constitution. In 2023 OLT celebrated the 100th birthday of the Lyric Theatre.

• 2023

  OLT celebrates the 100th birthday of the Lyric Theatre.

• 1985

  The Old Lyric Theatre becomes the permanent home of OLT.

• 1982

  The Lyric ceases to be Mena's only movie theater.

• 1979

  Ouachita Little Theatre is founded by Leda Benson.

• 1940

  Lum and Abner premiere their first movie, Dreaming Out Loud, at The Lyric on September 6, with over 3,500 attendees.

• 1930

  The Lyric is equipped with sound and shows its first talkie, Say It With Songs.

• 1923

  Current Lyric building at 610 Mena Street opens on October 1, built and owned by Price McCall.

• 1922

  Third Lyric building burns in a fire on January 27.

• 1909

  First Lyric theatre opens in Mena on September 12.

Non-profit, volunteer-run community theatre providing quality entertainment to the Ouachita Mountain region, known across Arkansas for staging Broadway musicals, comedies, and dramas.

• Annual theatre season (four or five plays including a musical)

• Broadway musical shows

• Popular comedies

• Moving dramas

• Guest artist performances

• Theatre rentals for professional musicians or entertainers

1. 1Ouachita Little Theatre – Historic Community Theatre in Mena, ARouachitalittletheatre.org
2. 2History of the OLT – Ouachita Little Theatreouachitalittletheatre.org
3. 3About OLT – Ouachita Little Theatreouachitalittletheatre.org
4. 4Ouachita Little Theatrewikidata.org