Conceived in 1958 by a parent-teacher association at Richard Avenue Elementary School, the Little Theatre Off Broadway continues to make the arts more accessible to the Grove City community since opening its doors 62 years ago. Its founders wanted locals to be able to experience theater without having to travel to Columbus.
In the beginning, LTOB put on productions in various schools, but in 1967 the company began leasing the building it has called home for over 50 years. In 1976, the company purchased the space.
“Grove City is very unique in that they have an in-house theater company – not a lot of communities have that,” Lisa Napier-Garcia, president of the board at LTOB, says. “We’re thankful for the foresight of those … who decided to invest in a building. Having your own space is huge in regard to actually putting on a show.”
The building, constructed in 1915, has a long history of housing the arts and, like any great theater, ghosts. The space started as a silent movie theater and, back in the days of silent films, Ethel – the building owner’s daughter – would accompany the pictures on piano. Her ghost, as well as two others, is said to haunt the space.
In 1967, the building went under extreme renovations to patch leaks, replace tattered furniture and install a 22-by-22-foot stage.
After a fire engulfed the building in 1978, it was reconstructed again, this time with dressing rooms, an expanded auditorium and additional light booth access.
With only 88 seats, putting on a production is a balance of space, budget and artistic vision. In 2002, LTOB put on the musical Titanic – a show notorious for its generous budget due to its complex set design. In such a small space, LTOB couldn’t hope to craft a set of that size – so it
shifted focus.
“When we did Titanic, we had to make it about the people and people left the show in tears every night,” says Napier-Garcia. “There were a number of people who said, ‘You can’t do that show on that stage.’ Well, yeah, you can. We did.”
From Recycling Bin to Main Stage
Key to LTOB’s generational success are volunteers like Berkley Biggs, a Vietnam War veteran and craftsman. Biggs makes props for LTOB out of everyday items like cereal boxes, bottle caps and Pringles cans.
After growing up on a farm in Kentucky, Biggs learned how to fashion toys out of everyday objects.
“There were five kids; there wasn’t a lot of money. So I was always very creative and made things to play with,” Biggs says.
Biggs left Kentucky to pursue an art degree at Morehead State University. During his third year of school, he hitchhiked to the University of Guadalajara to spend a year studying abroad. From there, Biggs was drafted for the Vietnam War.
After returning from the war, Biggs moved to California and bought a disco with his friends in L.A. After quickly realizing they had no money leftover to finish the club, Biggs outfitted the building with his own creations crafted out of cardboard. The club was such a success that soon other discos in the area wanted to work with him.
Eventually, Biggs moved to Ohio to be with his family. He got a job at Whole Foods and made props like a life-size cardboard stove, an 18-foot-tall heart banner for Valentine’s Day, a weight-bearing sleigh for a holiday display and more.
“I started building at Whole Foods just to secure my job and it worked. So, then after I retired, … I remember driving by and seeing Little Theatre,” Biggs says. “I thought they probably need props, and so I stopped in.”
After speaking with LTOB members, Biggs began volunteering his time to build props in his basement for company productions.
“I was so used to working and having responsibility and appreciation for my ability to make
things right,” Biggs says. “Once I was retired, I didn’t have that; doing this gave me all those things – I had a purpose, I was appreciated, I loved what I did. I am a very lucky man.”
During his tenure at LTOB, Biggs built a life-size tree with a weight-bearing tree branch, a guillotine complete with an operating pulley blade, and countless small props like candlesticks, fire hydrants and gas pumps – all out of recycled materials.
“It’s a good exercise for my brain to have a problem, and I have to solve it quickly and it’s got to be safe,” Biggs says.
Biggs also creates props for community events and is teaching props classes at the Ohio Community Theatre Association State Conference.
Generational Impact
Biggs’ capabilities are fully utilized in LTOB’s dynamic lineup.
The company puts on eight or nine shows each season: two comedies, two mystery-dramas, and two or three musicals. In addition to its packed season, it also emphasizes community education in the arts.
Since the 1970s, the theater has taught fall and spring youth classes which culminate in a final production and community showcase. On Saturday mornings, the kids clear out the auditorium to make space for acting games as they learn how to approach the text.
Not only do the kids learn the performing arts, they also learn valuable life skills while making lifelong friends.
“Our big goals for that program are to help kids become comfortable standing in front of a group and speaking – that’s a life skill,” Napier-Garcia says.
The theater also participates in community events like Ecofest and Boo Off Broadway, historical reenactments and town center events as it continues to encourage future thespians.
“I personally just feel blessed to be a caretaker of the organization … and to help it to succeed and grow and flourish so that we are also (able) to bring up new leadership,” Napier-Garcia says.
“Even if (the students) never act when they are older, … they are going to be audience members as adults. We have people who were in our classes and they’re sending their children to class.”
LTOB is closing its 2022-23 season with Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein which runs June 16-July 2. Watch for updates on the 2023-24 season at www.ltob.org.
Katie Giffin is a contributing writer at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
