The seeds for the Bay Street Players were planted when Dale Carpenter, Deborah Carpenter, Lou Tally, and Charlene Smith left the Ice House Theatre in 1974. Together they decided to start their own theatre. Lou Tally was driving in downtown Eustis and spotted the old State Theatre on Bay Street.
The State Theater
The State Theater originally opened in 1922 as a vaudeville house. The building was also used as a movie theater for many years. By 1975, it had been vacant for many years. Because of its original purpose, the theatre contained a curved balcony-mezzanine, a fly-loft, an orchestra pit, and wonderful visibility and acoustics. The group leased the 50-year old theatre with sweat equity (by renovating, repairing, and renovating the building, and paying only $60 per month in rent).
Hello Dolly
They planned to open with Hello, Dolly on June 19th, 1975. Though the air conditioning broke down on opening night, HelloDolly opened to success, and over 2,000 people came to see it. The theatre's second show, Any Wednesday, opened on September 4th.
 The Bay Street Players held their first awards banquet after their first season in May, 1976. Actors in Hello, Dolly were not eligible for awards, but Bay Street paid tribute to these performers by naming the awards the Dolly Awards. Comical awards have also been given certain years and these awards are called the Horace Awards.
Young People's Theater
1977 marked a milestone for the theatre when they had their first YPT (Young People's Theatre) production, directed by Deborah Carpenter. The program had started in 1976, and had grown from 17 students to nearly 60 by 1977. These 60 children performed the musical Wizard of Oz in May of that year. The YPT program has become the most successful children's theatre program in Lake County. YPT celebrated its 25th anniversary with a repeat performance of Wizard of Oz. In 2007, Bay Street Players hired Timothy D. Turner as Director of Education and Associate Artistic Director for YPT. Deborah remains active in YPT as a teaching artist.
Many graduates of the YPT program have gone on to careers in the performing arts, including Tzimon Barto (world renown concert pianist), Caroline Barringer (singer in New York City), Shannon Roche (Broadway actress), Kelly Coy (Equity actress) and Sabrina Lloyd (movie and TV actress who starred in Father Hood with Patrick Swayze, Sliders and Sports Night).
Buying the Building
The end of 1977 also marked some not so happy events. The lease on the theatre was about to run out, and the owners of the building told the Bay Street Players that they would have to buy the theatre or leave. In order to raise the money needed, $40,000, Bay Street appealed to grant foundations and hosted a benefit performance of Once More, With Feeling. The day of the performance, Dale Carpenter was informed that Bay Street Players had been outbid by several thousand dollars.
The Bay Street Players were saved in 1978 when an anonymous couple loaned the down payment needed to purchase the building. It was purchased for the price of $34,000, which included the adjacent land and two small stores. Bay Street was lucky once again the following year when the same couple picked up the entire $36,000 first and second mortgages held on the State Theatre.
Major Renovation
 In 1985, the theatre began a massive renovation that cost about $198,000. 125 volunteers did all the work except for installing new carpet and tile. In the lobby the volunteers built a new box office and new restrooms. In the auditorium, the floor, stage, ceiling, and seats were painted and the rear wall was moved back several yards to improve acoustics. The seats were also covered in velvet-like material, and the air-conditioning system was moved to the roof thanks to the assistance of Lake Plumbing, Inc. and its owners, Barto and Thelma Smith and Johnny and Evelyn Smith who were named Life-Founder Patrons. The theatre bought a new plum curtain, added a green room for the actors, and installed $20,000 in stage lights. The renovation was completed in time for the opening of the December musical of 1985, Brigadoon.
|
|
New Direction
The theatre continued to thrive under the executive directorship of Dale Carpenter. Although Carpenter directed many shows, Bay Street still had guest directors, and Carpenter had another job. Carpenter had a stroke in December 1990 and became unable to direct shows. He was named Director Emeritus and continued to sit on the board. At the beginning of each season the board of directors selects who will direct each show.
Bay Street Players celebrated its 25th anniversary in the year 2000, with a performance of the show Hello, Dolly in March. Nine years after his stroke, Carpenter was able to come and direct this special event along with Lorna Merklinger. To celebrate the anniversary, the theatre invited people from its past to sit on stage during a scene in Act 2.
Since its beginning, Bay Street Players has been a theatre of actors, by actors, and for actors. Thanks to the vision of Dale Carpenter, the Bay Street Players produced many shows which had never been performed before in Lake County. More to come.... |
