About Us

Slidell Little Theatre was organized in the spring of 1963 with a season of four plays. In 1975, increased participation and audience demand justified an increase to 5 plays per season. This continued for a further four years until the season was expanded to the current slate of six plays.

In 1973, through the generosity and dedication of many people, SLT obtained the property known as the "old" building. This facility was shared with the previous owner, a church, through the first three productions of the 1973-74 season. Each year since then we saw improvements in the facility, from the ramped seating and technical capability expansions, to real dressing rooms and a lobby concessions area. All facility improvements have been supported, funded, and usually implemented by SLT's own members. In 1997 the old building was finally “retired”. It was demolished to make room for more parking.

Intending to give back to the community for its support, SLT added a Children's Summer Workshop in 1977, with 75 students between the ages of 8 and 13. That annual Workshop, now known as Young Actors Theatre or YATs, includes classes on all aspects of the theatre, and participatory work culminating in student productions. Now serving over 200 young people from age 4 through graduating High School Seniors, YATs is growing faster then our facilities.

With the Slidell Commission on the Arts, SLT has sponsored various visiting artists and workshops for artistic and technical growth. Our final dress rehearsal, usually the Thursday before each opening night of a production, is open to senior citizens of the area as well as to members of the Sunshine House and local rehabilitation facilities. SLT sponsors a Christmas production for STARC. (Services, Training, Advocacy, Resources Connection for people with learning disabilities).

SLT continued to thrive through the 1980's into the 1990's, outgrowing its original theatre home. During the early 1990's, SLT's "Next Stage" became a reality with a huge fund-raising campaign leading to the opening of our 1994-95 season in our "new" building. With a 4500 square foot building our “Little” Theatre has been recreated in to a state of the art Community Theatre.

Since then, we have been pleased to hear compliments about the spacious seating in the auditorium, though other areas seem to be bursting at the seams. We've improved our storage and lobby areas. . Thanks to the support of the YATs program we closed in the porch on the front of the new Theatre in the spring of 2008. This increased the size of our conditioned lobby space.

Slidell Little Theatre has enjoyed continuous and steady growth with increasing maturity over the last 45 years. The dramatic and organizational health of SLT continues to be excellent! We look forward to another successful 45 years in the future.