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F
aced with a dilemma a few
short years ago, the arts
community in the Peoria
area did what it had done many
times before: It quit relying on
others and took action itself.
The Peoria Live Theatre League
was born and while it is still
growing it is central Illinois’ lead-
ing — if not its only — place to
find out not only what is happen-
ing in local community theatre as
well as read reviews of the show
presented.
It also is now a model for com-
munity theatre groups nation-
wide who, like those in Peoria,
found themselves begging for
media coverage of their shows.
Staff reductions at newspapers
across the country, including the
Peoria Journal Star
, ended most
theatre reviews — critiques these
groups counted on to put people
at the ticket booth and in the
seats.
Rocco Landesman, chairman
of the National Endowment of
the Arts, has applauded the local
effort and in fact has told count-
less other communities about the
Peoria Live Theatre League.
But is it enough? People have
to know about the league to get
much out of it. And the local
theatre groups that have little
to spend on advertising still
must rely on media that will do
preview stories about upcoming
shows, including thepeorian.com,
said Suzette Boulais, executive di-
rector of Arts Partners of Central
Illinois.
“The Live Theatre League was
born out of necessity. When the
letters went out from the Journal
Star to the different organizations
that it was going to stop doing re-
views it was devastating. But Arts
Partners facilitated a discussion
with the different groups and
decided to be proactive. It was
an answer to a problem and it is
dynamic. Now we just have to
keep growing and reaching more
people,” Boulais said.
She could have just as easily
been talking about the many oth-
er arts that are available in Peoria.
Many people involved agree that
once the public becomes aware of
what there is here, they become
true fans.
They also agree that many in
the area don’t realize what is
available in the Peoria region, for
children to adults, from visual
arts to performance arts.
And for a metropolitan area
this size, Peoria offers a lot, Rocco
Landesman said in an exclusive
interview with The Peorian. “Peo-
ria is very active in the arts. It is a
perfect example of how different
public and private partnerships
can work to promote the arts and
the people I have met in my trips
to Peoria are incredibly support-
ive of the arts,” he said.
He cited his most recent trip
last August, when U.S. Rep.
Aaron Schock, R-Peoria, invited
him to see progress in the arts
community since his previous
visit in November 2009. In just a
matter of days Schock, Boulais,
Kathy Chitwood of Arts Partners
and former head of Eastlight
Theatre put together a reception
and performances by several
groups at Wildlife Prairie State
Park. Thinking that the audience
would be small because of the
short notice and because of poor
weather that day, Landesman
said he was amazed when he saw
several hundred people there.
“Peoria has very committed
people wanting to use the arts
but it is up to them, to the arts
organizations themselves to get
the word out about what they
offer,” he said.
12
thePeorian.com
The Present
It All Plays Well Here
Peoria region has the arts and passion;
always looking for a bigger audience
By Paul Gordon
Several hundred people packed into
the banquet room at Wildlife Prairie
State Park on a stormy August evening
last year to meet Rocco Landesman,
chairman of the National Endowment
for the Arts.