Dec 8, 2014 2 min read

The 2014 season of Little Lake Theater is nearly at an end. The final production, “A Tuna Christmas,” is now playing and will be presented through Saturday.

And what a season it has been. We saw “A Tuna Christmas” and it is an absolutely delightful experience. This play has become an almost-annual event at Little Lake, and generally plays to sold-out audiences. The performance we saw was no exception.

I have long maintained that Little Lake Theater is by far the best entertainment value in the region. The performances are almost uniformly outstanding, and this season has included some truly amazing productions. In addition to the current play, two of the finest productions I have ever witnessed anywhere – Broadway included – were on this year’s schedule. They were “Doubt” and “The Miracle Worker.”

I first attended plays at Little Lake in the 1950s, when still in high school. They were excellent then and, if anything, are better now. It is astonishing that so much excellence is garnered from unpaid actors and a talented and dedicated corps of aspiring young actors who carry out many and varied roles in the theater (it would be a misnomer to say that they are not professional, for they are in every way except for payment).

The theater was founded by the late Will Disney, but much of the credit for its current success must go to his daughter, Sunny Disney Fitchett, and her husband, Rob Fitchett. Sadly, they will be leaving for California in the spring of next year. We have been assured that the theater will be left in excellent hands and that the Fitchetts will return on occasion to see how things are going.

Anyone who values high-quality entertainment and is unfamiliar with Little Lake is well-advised to queue up for tickets as early as possible next year. Little Lake Theater is an experience which should not be missed – and it doesn’t require a trip into the city to see great live theater.

John E. Hemington Jr.

McMurray