Our Story
The Lighthouse Children’s Theatre began as an extraordinary vision in the mind of a retired teacher on a summer evening in August 2007. Having been running a successful home business, Executive Director Lynne Hedrick felt like there was still something missing from her life, and had been searching for a way to do something more — to help others and make a difference in her community.
When she realized that a children’s theatre was exactly what El Dorado Springs and the surrounding communities needed, everything began to fall into place. With a degree in Elementary Education and a minor in theatre, it made perfect sense. She could just see it — children in costumes, singing and dancing, their faces lit up. Parents, friends, family, and community members in the audience, captivated by the performance. A community coming together in unity. Opportunities for revitalizing the arts and culture in El Dorado Springs and beyond. This was more than just a place for children to do plays. This was the thing she had been called to do to make an incredible impact on the lives of children, and on a much larger scale, the future of the community of El Dorado Springs and beyond. It was a like a ray of light in the dark. A lighthouse, if you will.
Unsure of exactly where to begin, she went online and Googled “helping children find their voice through theatre.” The search returned thousands of results, but one and only one had anything to do with theater. It was a newspaper article by the same title, “helping children find their voice through theater.” The banner at the top of the page said the paper was located in Wells, Maine, and in the right hand corner was a small image — an image of a lighthouse.
The article was about a woman, Ronda Verges, who had started a children’s theatre company two years prior. Ronda called her theatre company Inside-Out Productions because she believes there is beauty inside each child and the theatre is a wonderful place for that beauty to shine. The foundation of her company was exactly what Lynne wanted for kids in El Dorado Springs, and she knew she had to talk to Ronda. Lynne found Ronda’s number in the phone book and left her a message, saying that she had found her calling and wanted to start a children’s theatre company in El Dorado Springs, MO. She asked Ronda if there was any way she could be a resource and help her get started. Little did she know what would transpire from this seemingly random phone call.
The next day, Ronda returned the call, only to tell Lynne that it had been her burning desire to start a children’s theatre in Missouri for the past several years. It was a promise Ronda made to her son, Adam, three days before he was killed in a car accident near Tarkio, MO. Now, this lady whom she had never met or solicited, was calling her asking for help with a children's theater in Missouri.
For nearly three hours, Ronda and Lynne shared their history, hopes, and dreams. Lynne’s vision echoed in Ronda’s philosophy of the children's theater she began following her son's death. Since then, the Lighthouse Children’s Theatre has garnered the support of community members, business leaders, elected officials, statewide arts councils, and many others who have embraced the mission.
Today, the Lighthouse Children's Theatre offers acting programs for youth ages 3 - 17. The organization recently announced plans for a capital campaign in order to secure funds to build a theatre in El Dorado Springs. The theatre will be the home of the Lighthouse Children's Theatre company, and will become a community hub for arts and culture.
