Oct. 26, 2016 – Slinger, WI – On October 12 the Kettle Moraine Players (KMP) completed a major step in its growth as a community theatre company closing on the purchase of a 96-year-old church building for $47,500 at 204 Kettle Moraine Drive South in Slinger.
KMP will renovate and convert the building into a 72-seat theater space which will feature stadium-style seating for 48 main floor and 24 balcony customers where everyone is within seven rows of the stage. Customers will be able to enjoy beer and wine coolers during performances as well. Other conveniences include ADA accessibility and parking for everyone within one block of the door.
KMP began as a small theatre organization under the banner of the Campbellsport Lions Club in 2006. After two years they went on their own and filed as a not for profit Wisconsin corporation in January, 2008. They are IRS tax exempt status as a 501(c)(3) public charity.
Until now they have been housed within Campbellsport High School.
The company has been a regular in state competition entering the Wisconsin Association of Community Theatre state festival (WACTfest) four times and winning it twice.
The festival is the entry point for the national festival (AACTfest) and their two wins sent them to perform in South Bend, Indiana in 2009 and Columbus, Ohio in 2011. KMP has collected 16 state and regional awards as well as one national award. In 2015 their production of Guys on Ice was nominated for 6 national awards by IMEA (International Musicians and Entertainers Association) and it won one of the categories when Slinger State Farm Agent Alan Jordan won Best Supporting Actor for his character, ‘Lloyd.’
Typically, KMP’s twice a year shows originate in Campbellsport and then travel the following weekend. Several have been performed in Kewaskum and 8 of them in the past 7 years have been performed at the Schauer Center. In 2012 they produced the national premiere of “I AM NOT A LEGEND,” The Story of Coach Vince Lombardi which brought the playwright from Canada to the Schauer Center. The show went on to play at St. Norbert College where they had Coach Lombardi’s daughter Susan in the audience.
KMP will name the venue “Kettle Moraine Playhouse” and plans to have the opening production in October, 2017. The first season will be either 4 or 5 shows ending in May or early June. The summer months will be full of theatre education classes, camps and shows for students from elementary school all the way through high school. On days when the venue is not in use as a theater it will be made available for use by businesses and local non-profit organizations for meetings.
You can learn more about the Kettle Moraine Players at KettleMorainePlayers.com and you can also sign up to receive email updates and newsletters on the progress and learn how you can get involved. KMP points out that it is community theatre because the community is involved. You will get much more out of it when you participate in it and there will be many, many ways to participate.
Kettle Moraine Players, Inc.
PO Box 1013
Campbellsport, WI 53010
John Brandl
Congratulations to John and the Kettle Moraine Players!