Opening of the new stage at the Rhode Center for the Arts! . . .

Grand Opening April 11th, 2008

In 2007 Lakeside Players, Inc. received a loan from the city of Kenosha to renovate the Rhode Opera House. We have put these funds to good use by investing in a brand new heating system. This new heating system has made a huge difference to our non-profit organization. The Rhode Opera House was built in 1927. It was originally one large theater with one stage that featured vaudeville performers and other notable performers of the 1920’s. This beautiful theater has gone through a variety of phases throughout the years. The most damaging phase was in the 1960’s when the stage was split right down the middle and turned into two movie theaters. The theater was further damaged when the original heating system was dismantled by the previous owners. The wall dividing the theater into two stages is still in place and Lakeside Players, inc. is now the proud owner of the building. We are an all-volunteer, non-profit organization with a primary focus on producing live theater, and we are very dedicated to the restoration of the Rhode Opera House. We have managed to renovate the lobby, which is stunning with it’s original Pearlman chandeliers still in place. We have also renovated one of the stages, which is used primarily for Lakeside Players productions. The second stage has been vacant for many years because this space did not have any heat. Before our new heating system was installed we used it mainly for storage and rehearsal space.

Once our new heating system was in place, we were very anxious to start working on our new stage. Our volunteers have invested countless hours renovating the stage, cleaning, painting, and setting up a brand new lights and sound system. We are very excited about our new space and plan to bring various forms of live entertainment to downtown Kenosha. Our immediate plans include improv with ComedySportz, comedy nights, live music, children’s theater and more! We are kicking off our grand opening with a night of ComedySportz improv and we are very excited to announce that we have partnered with ComedySportz for a series of improv nights throughout the year. Come help us celebrate our new space!

Grand Opening with ComedySportz - the interactive improv experience!

When: April 11th at 9:00 pm (the box office is open one hour prior to the performance)

Tickets are $12 at the door

cash bar

Rhode Center for the Arts
514 56th street
Kenosha WI
(262) 657-PLAY