The curtain rises on Village Square Theatre’s next season
As the stage remains dimmed, audience members trickle into the Village Square Theatre’s seats, ready to see the Feb. 4 matinee performance of “Bell, Book, and Candle,” a romantic comedy with a touch of magical whimsy. The theater is about half-full, with friends and family of the cast members holding flower bouquets to reward them for their roles onstage over the past few weekends.
After the performance, the stage will be struck, and another production will begin. The show never ends at Village Square, which has been entertaining audiences in Lexington County for more than 60 years. Next, rehearsals begin for “Finding Nemo Jr.,” debuting March 8, and onto “Mary Poppins,” beginning May 3.
Meanwhile, spring classes have begun, including new offerings on tap and stage dancing and Disney-focused acting. Workshops are scheduled for improv, auditioning, and makeup, offered to both adults and children. And the mostly volunteer staff is readying itself for the 2024-25 season, which includes its first staging of the musical “Rent” and a junior version of “Mean Girls.”
Village Square, located at 105 Caughman Road, remains ambitious with a combination of volunteers, longtime benefactors, and support from advertising and sponsorships. This year, Village Square is offering its first preschool program, said Ashely Lackore, who serves as head of the public relations committee. “Village Square is an all-year-round community theater,” she said.
Lackore has been with the theater for six years, when her daughter, Chappell Lackore, auditioned for her first show, “Alice in Wonderland.” Now Ashely not only serves as the PR head but also produces some of the shows. “There’re so many different things you can be a part of. It’s basically like our second family,” she said. The hope is to extend that family with newer productions, such as “Rent,” drawing on talent at nearby universities, such as South Carolina.
Volunteers and board members also want to raise the profile of the theater, housed in a back lot of a strip mall, found mostly by a historic sign touting the theater on Columbia Avenue. You might have seen them at the Snowball Festival or other events around the community. “We’re constantly trying to figure out new ways to be more known in the community,” Lackore said.
2024-2025 season (dates to be announced)
- Finding Nemo Jr.
- The Diary of Anne Frank
- Oliver!
- Murder on the Orient Express
- Mean Girls Jr.
- Rent
- The Wizard of Oz, Younger Performers Edition
Village Square Theatre
105 Caughman Road
Lexington, SC 29072
(803) 359-1436