The Little Theatre on the Square

The Little Theatre on the Square is a performing-arts institution in Sullivan, Illinois. It occupies a theatre building on Harrison Street in the town square that originally opened in 1924 as a movie house called the Grand Theatre. The venue became associated with live theatrical production in 1957, when Sullivan native Guy S. Little, Jr. returned from graduate study and professional theatre training in New York and began presenting a seasonal program called the Summer of Musicals at the Grand Theatre. Little initially operated the venue as a summer theatre, taking advantage of the building’s established role as an entertainment venue while concentrating productions into the warmer months. The early program was ambitious for a small-town theatre: the first 1957 season presented nine shows over nine weeks, with each production receiving four performances from Thursday through Sunday. Ticket prices ranged from 90 cents to $2.20. Guys and Dolls became the season’s breakout success, selling out and requiring the theatre to open its balcony seating. The institution moved toward professional theatrical status in 1959, when it began employing professional actors and operated as an Actors’ Equity theatre. During Guy S. Little’s ownership, the venue attracted a notable succession of stage, film and television performers. Productions included Guys and Dolls, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Born Yesterday, Irma La Douce, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Three Goats and a Blanket. Performers associated with productions included Alan Alda, Margaret Hamilton, Betty Grable, Lesley Ann Warren, Leonard Nimoy, Mickey Rooney, Rosemary Prinz, Tom Poston, Bill Hayes, Eve Arden, Barbara Rush, Shelley Berman, Frank Sutton, Peter Palmer, Ann Miller, Vivian Vance, Bob Cummings and Cesar Romero. The theatre also presented appearances by performers such as John Carradine, Jonathan Frid, Kitty Carlisle and Colleen Zenk. The venue was renamed The Little Theatre on the Square after Little purchased the Grand Theatre in 1963. Financial pressure associated with professional casting led him to lease the theatre in 1979 to Sullivan Theater Inc., a nonprofit organized by two Eastern Illinois University professors. The theatre did not operate during 1980, reflecting the difficulty of sustaining the professional model. Local business and civic leaders responded by forming the Friends of the Little Theatre, which reopened the institution in 1981. By 1985, the theatre had largely ended its practice of relying on widely known professional stars. The Friends of the Little Theatre became the owner in 1991. The organization subsequently stabilized the institution financially, eliminating its debt by 1995 and adding Christmas productions. Leonard Anderson served as professional manager, while M. Seth Reines became artistic director in 1988. In 1996, the Illinois Arts Council designated the theatre an Established Regional Arts Institution. Its activities later expanded beyond the main summer season to include dance, children’s theatre and drama classes. Public support also enabled facility development. In 2000, the theatre received a $300,000 Illinois grant to purchase a nearby building for use as a technical production facility and to renovate another building acquired by the organization. In its contemporary form, the theatre presents a seasonal program that includes musicals, plays and Theatre for Young Audiences productions, alongside educational and community programming. The 2023 summer season was described as including six musicals, one play and three youth-oriented productions. The theatre’s positioning combines accessible regional theatre, live entertainment for local and visiting audiences, and arts participation for children and students.

The building now associated with The Little Theatre on the Square began life in 1924 as the Grand Theatre, a movie theatre in Sullivan’s town square. It showed films through most of the year but did not normally operate during the summer months. That seasonal gap provided the opportunity for Guy S. Little, Jr., a Sullivan native who had completed graduate study and theatre training in New York, to establish a live-performance program in 1957. Little rented the building and introduced the Summer of Musicals at the Grand Theatre. The inaugural season consisted of nine shows in nine weeks, with four performances of each title. Guys and Dolls was especially successful, selling out and prompting the opening of balcony seating. In 1959, the theatre began hiring professional actors and became an Actors’ Equity theatre. Little purchased the property in 1963 and renamed it The Little Theatre on the Square. The theatre became known for presenting established performers in small-city summer stock and regional productions. Its historical repertoire included Guys and Dolls, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Born Yesterday, Irma La Douce, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Three Goats and a Blanket. The cast history included major figures from stage, film and television, among them Alan Alda, Margaret Hamilton, Betty Grable, Lesley Ann Warren, Leonard Nimoy and Mickey Rooney. Rosemary Prinz was a particularly frequent summer performer, appearing in numerous seasons between 1961 and 1982. Other notable appearances included John Carradine in Oliver! and Dracula, Jonathan Frid in Dial M for Murder, Ann Miller, and Kitty Carlisle. By the late 1970s, the expense of professional casting had become a serious challenge. In 1979, Little leased the theatre to Sullivan Theater Inc., a nonprofit created by two Eastern Illinois University professors. The theatre was unable to operate in 1980 because of financial pressures. A new nonprofit, the Friends of the Little Theatre, was organized by Sullivan business and civic leaders and brought the theatre back in 1981. The institution gradually shifted away from a star-driven professional model; by 1985, it no longer routinely cast nationally known professional actors. Leonard Anderson served as professional manager, and M. Seth Reines became artistic director in 1988. The Friends of the Little Theatre purchased the venue from Little in 1991. Under nonprofit ownership, the organization eliminated its debt by 1995 and added Christmas productions. In 1996, the Illinois Arts Council recognized the theatre as an Established Regional Arts Institution. The organization then broadened its scope with dance activities, children’s theatre and drama classes, making the venue an arts-education resource as well as a production house. In 2000, Illinois provided a $300,000 grant for facility expansion. The planned work included purchasing a nearby building for technical production and renovating another building owned by the theatre. Later programming continued to center on seasonal live theatre. The 2009 season reportedly included two off-season performances and five regular-season shows, with summer productions generally running for two weeks from Tuesday through Sunday. By 2023, the summer season was described as comprising six musicals, one play and three Theatre for Young Audiences shows. The theatre’s history therefore spans movie exhibition, professional summer stock, nonprofit regional theatre and broader community arts programming.

• 2000

  Production-facility expansion grant

  [1]The Little Theatre on the Squareen.wikipedia.org

  A $300,000 Illinois grant supports acquisition and renovation of nearby buildings for technical and production uses.

• 1996

  Illinois Arts Council designation

  [1]The Little Theatre on the Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The theatre receives Established Regional Arts Institution status from the Illinois Arts Council.

• 1995

  Debt eliminated and Christmas shows added

  [1]The Little Theatre on the Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The theatre reports eliminating its debt and begins presenting Christmas productions.

• 1991

  Nonprofit ownership

  [1]The Little Theatre on the Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The Friends of the Little Theatre purchases the theatre from Guy S. Little, Jr.

• 1981

  Friends of the Little Theatre reopens the venue

  [1]The Little Theatre on the Squareen.wikipedia.org

  A nonprofit community group assumes operating responsibility and reopens the theatre.

• 1980

  Theatre pauses operations

  [1]The Little Theatre on the Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The venue does not operate during the year amid financial difficulties.

• 1979

  Nonprofit lease begins

  [1]The Little Theatre on the Squareen.wikipedia.org

  Little leases the theatre to Sullivan Theater Inc. because of the cost of hiring professional actors.

• 1963

  Venue renamed The Little Theatre on the Square

  [1]The Little Theatre on the Squareen.wikipedia.org

  After purchasing the Grand Theatre, Guy S. Little, Jr. changes its name to The Little Theatre on the Square.

• 1959

  Professional actors and Actors’ Equity status

  [1]The Little Theatre on the Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The theatre begins employing professional actors and operates as an Actors’ Equity theatre.

• 1957

  Summer of Musicals begins

  [1]The Little Theatre on the Squareen.wikipedia.org

  Guy S. Little, Jr. begins renting the Grand Theatre for a summer live-theatre program.

• 1924

  The Grand Theatre opens

  [1]The Little Theatre on the Squareen.wikipedia.org

  The building in Sullivan’s town square opens as a movie theatre known as the Grand Theatre.

A regional performing-arts venue that combines professional-caliber musical theatre with community access, youth programming and arts education.

• Seasonal theatre program · 1957

  Summer of Musicals

  The theatre’s signature seasonal program began in 1957 as a concentrated series of musical productions staged during the summer. Historically, the program used professional performers and became known for bringing recognizable stage, film and television actors to Sullivan. Contemporary summer programming continues the tradition with a mixed schedule of musicals, plays and youth theatre.

• Live theatre · 1957

  Main-stage musicals and plays

  The theatre presents full-length musical and dramatic productions for regional audiences. Historical titles include Guys and Dolls, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Born Yesterday, Irma La Douce, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Three Goats and a Blanket. Recent seasons have continued to combine popular musicals with non-musical plays.

• Youth theatre

  Theatre for Young Audiences

  Youth-oriented productions form part of the theatre’s contemporary programming. These shows extend the institution’s community role beyond adult main-stage entertainment and are presented alongside education, children’s theatre and drama activities.

• Arts education

  Arts education and dance programming

  After its nonprofit revival, the organization expanded into dance, children’s theatre and drama classes. These activities support participation and instruction in addition to the theatre’s ticketed productions.

• Holiday theatre · 1995

  Christmas shows

  Holiday productions became part of the theatre’s program after the organization stabilized its finances in the mid-1990s. They provide an additional seasonal offering outside the core summer schedule.

• 2000

  Technical and facility expansionStrategy

  Background

  The theatre was expanding its role as a regional arts institution and required additional production capacity.

  Action taken

  The organization used a $300,000 Illinois grant to purchase a nearby building for technical production and renovate another building.

  Aftermath

  The investment supported the theatre’s production infrastructure and broader institutional programming.

  Illinois grant. $300,000 (2000)

  Source

• 1991

  Transfer to Friends of the Little TheatreM&A

  Background

  The Friends of the Little Theatre had operated the venue since its 1981 reopening.

  Action taken

  Guy S. Little, Jr. sold the theatre to the nonprofit organization.

  Aftermath

  Nonprofit ownership continued, with debt eliminated by 1995 and programming broadened to include Christmas shows and educational activities.

  Source

• 1981

  Community nonprofit revivalStrategy

  Background

  The theatre had been inactive in 1980 after the previous operating model became difficult to sustain.

  Action taken

  The Friends of the Little Theatre was formed by local business and civic leaders and reopened the venue.

  Aftermath

  The institution adopted a more community-oriented nonprofit model and by 1985 had stopped routinely casting nationally recognized professional stars.

  Source

• 1979

  Lease to Sullivan Theater Inc.Strategy

  Background

  The cost of hiring professional actors created financial pressure for the owner-operated theatre.

  Action taken

  Little leased the theatre to Sullivan Theater Inc., a nonprofit organized by two Eastern Illinois University professors.

  Aftermath

  The theatre did not operate in 1980, and a separate community nonprofit later organized to reopen it.

  Source

• 1963

  Purchase and rename the venueStrategy

  Background

  Guy S. Little, Jr. had been presenting summer theatre in the former Grand Theatre since 1957.

  Action taken

  Little purchased the building and changed its name to The Little Theatre on the Square, linking the venue more directly to its founder and live-theatre identity.

  Aftermath

  The renamed theatre continued its professional summer-production model and developed a reputation for notable guest performers.

  Source

1. 1The Little Theatre on the Squareen.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Little Theatre on the Square official websitethelittletheatre.org