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PodCamp: Legacy Theatre, Coming Back Stronger Than Ever

Katie Buck
/
NPR Illinois 91.9 UIS
Riley and Scott in their interview

Hello, I’m Riley Brown for the NPR Illinois Podcamp.

Scott Richardson is the Executive Director and owner of the Legacy Theatre in Springfield.

Renovating, opening, and owning a theatre was never the career path he would have originally walked.

"Did I ever think that I would actually open a real theatre? Never!"

"It made me cry. If I think about it long enough right now, it will make me cry again, because there have been so many people showing so much love to this silly little endeavor, it just fills me with joy."

When the Legacy Theatre opened in 2011, people were surprised. The Theatre Guild had been dark for so long, and no one expected it to work again.

"All of a sudden, this thing that was dark for years, all of a sudden BOOM! It was back!"

The Legacy Theatre has had wonderful results, including having amazing shows and a lot of fun.

"We’ve had loads of fun, we’ve consumed massive quantities of pizza, um, and we’ve done some really, really wonderful shows."

The theatre produces plays that are not performed very often. This results in new memories, exclusive performances, and an overall great experience.

"We, we like to go into, we call it the Broadway Attic, and dust off things that nobody’s seen in a long time, and bring them to an audience."

Theatres are happy places. There is laughter, good feelings, and warmth. Even when you are working you can feel this.

"My happiest job in the theatre is when I work in concessions. When I get to serve people popcorn and soda. I love that because you get to talk to people, you get to say “How do you like the show? What do you think?” You really get to chat with them a little bit.   …     the theatre is a really special thing."

This has been Riley Brown for the NPR Illinois Podcamp.

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NPR Illinois PodCamp is an annual program teaching media literacy, civic education, journalism, and technical skills to aspiring students.

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