85 years of magic: Sumter Little Theatre’s legacy lives on in the eyes of creatives across the county

It all began as a simple gathering, a group of hopeful souls in Sumter meeting on a September evening in 1939 with a shared idea: to build something new, a place where their town's stories could come to life. The announcement in the local newspaper was modest, almost matter of fact. A Little Theatre was forming, where "good plays of various types" brought to audiences by local talent given the chance to shine would be presented at "reasonable prices."

No one could have known then how this small vision would grow into a cornerstone of the community.

Eighty-five years later, Sumter Little Theatre is a place where generations of creatives have gathered to build legacy and a family. For longtime members Traci Quinn and Heather Osborne Turner, who have each spent decades under its lights, the theater holds more than memories - it holds their hearts.

Quinn, instead of braving the bright lights on stage, helped manage those lights her first few years at the theater, getting her start with "Best Christmas Pageant Ever" as a teenager.

"I had come to see shows before, but I had no idea what the process was like, and I just fell in love with it … when I got involved, I was just like, I want to do this all the time," Quinn said. And so, she did.

The idea under the helm of the late SLT Executive Director Katie Damron was you worked your way up, Quinn explained. Whether it be moving furniture, working lights, helping build or break down the set, painting the night away, all the way down to sorting screws, the theater worked as a family, depending on one another, trusting each other and respecting everyone has a vital part - no matter how big or small, in front of or behind the curtain - in bringing these productions to life.

Now, as a director, it's amazing to witness how those very people who were timid techs and shy stagehands walk out on stage to a packed house and shine.

"I've sat in an audience and cried watching somebody really fall into a role. And there have been times when that didn't happen til opening night," Quinn expressed. "All during rehearsal time, I've been encouraging and 'Let's try this' or 'What would happen if you did that,' and then all of a sudden, you're in the audience and the lights come on, and that person just does it and just falls into it."

A production that came to mind was "Sweat." Quinn, for the first time in February 2024, tried her hand at directing a drama, choosing Lynn Nottage's production to do so. The cast earned a standing ovation on its opening night as audience members cheered and wiped tears brought on by the impactful performance. Quinn said it took constant encouragement and many rehearsals for some cast members to fall into their roles, ones completely removed from their everyday demeanor. The magic only happened when those house lights went up.

Turner, who starred in Quinn's production, witnessed such magic firsthand and attested it still renders her speechless, just like when she was a little girl. The wonder in her eyes as she reminisced about watching her father on the SLT stage, the memory of the little live mouse in his pocket a favorite among many as she watched him train for their appearance in Dracula - the entire experience fascinated Turner, then and now. The family would move away for a short time, during which the theater went dark in 1985. After its reopening the following year, Turner knew there was nowhere else she'd rather be.

She graced the stage numerous times, in starring roles or supporting her fellow cast members, and always found solace in fostering community. Which is why she was trusted with the reins around 2004 to direct "Canterbury Tales" - a production Damron directed years before. In the years since, she's directed dozens more shows, no genre spared. Through Damron, Quinn and the many phenomenal directors and actors before her, Turner learned the responsibility of donning that quaint stage is not to be taken lightly.

"Whatever you do, whether you're playing a character [or directing], you have a responsibility to the character, you have responsibility to the playwright, you have responsibility to the other actors on stage," she explained. "It's more than excitement and [self] expression; it's a commitment."

What has kept that commitment alive for more than eight decades can be summed up into one word.

"Connection - that is home to me," Quinn said. "When you can connect with other people and you're collaborative and you all want the same thing; there's not much else like it in the world."

The theater has connected itself to generation after generation, its magic being threaded into the lives of young actors, directors, playwrights, stagehands and audiences who all want to see the small yet mighty theater - home, as many lovingly call it - thrive. It's not meant to sit in darkness, for its house lights harness much more magic when they're all aglow.

Now, celebrating 85 years of magic, the theater has brought tear-jerking shows, like "Sweat" and "Next to Normal," and knee-slapping humor, in productions like "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike." But it's also bringing in the talent of the next generation. Young actors and actresses are slowly but gracefully taking the reins of the shows, bringing fresh ideas and inclusive initiatives for both the theater and community to enjoy. If their passion and persistence are anything like the fire they bring to the stage, this theater has a long, bright and creative future ahead - Quinn and Turner are sure of it.

"It's the magic of this place that makes everybody want to be [here]," Quinn expressed.

"We constantly want to grow, and we realize to grow, we have to take all the great things that have been given to us over the years and then also be open to a world that is constantly changing … Katie is the legacy, and now we've kind of moved along in her footsteps, and now they [the next generation] have taken off, and that's the beauty of it," Turner said. "And to think, it all started in 1939."