The Lex-Ham Community Theater started as a program of the Lexington-Hamline Community Council (LHCC). Throughout its history, the LHCC has provided the neighborhood with programs that help to maintain good housing, a healthy environment, and facilities for recreation and strategies for protection from crime. The original fundamental purposes of the LHCC remain the same: to improve the quality of life in the Lexington-Hamline neighborhood and to bring about long-term, sustainable community change for the neighborhood, by the neighborhood.

In 1995, the LHCC authorized a task force to initiate the Lex-Ham Community Theater to produce quality theatrical experiences by and for the residents of the Lexington-Hamline and surrounding neighborhoods in St. Paul. The LHCC provided a bare minimum of staff support to the company, while the LHCC Board of Directors provided general financial oversight. The Lex-Ham Community Theater operates on a day-to-day basis almost exclusively on volunteers. 

Since its first production in 1996, the Lex-Ham Community Theater has enhanced the local theatrical scene by selecting lesser-known works by noted playwrights and giving the regional and world premieres of works by local authors. 

In the fall of 2002, the Lex-Ham Community Theater separated from the LHCC to operate as its own arts organization. It continues its original mission to produce quality theatrical experiences by and for the residents of the Lexington-Hamline and surrounding neighborhoods in St. Paul.

The theater strives to accomplish this mission by working in three main areas: artistic, community building, and financial. The theater selects works of artistic merit and sets a high artistic standard for the performances of those works. 

The theater strives to build community by doing extensive outreach within the local community for the involvement of individuals, organizations, and businesses. Preference is also given in the selection of which plays to perform to those with themes that support the concept of community. Furthermore, the company strives to help build community by involving people across generations and walks of life with each of its productions. All of its shows have provided people with little previous experience an opportunity to be on-stage or work off-stage side by side with those who have more experience.

Finally, the theater strives to have budget for each season to be in financial balance.

The theater has used some or all of the following criteria to select plays in the past:

1. Have a relatively large (ten or more) cast;
2. Have a large number (five or more) of substantial roles for women;
3. Have roles for a variety of people (e.g., young and old) from the community;
4. Be suitable for families;
5. Be literarily interesting;
6. Have simple set and technical requirements;
7. Involve music in some way, but not necessarily a full musical;
8. Be entertaining for the audience;
9. Expand the theatrical experience of the Twin Cities audience; and
10. Involve some themes that are timely today.

See some of the shows that we have done.

Return to Lex-Ham Community Theater home page

Last updated: 05/12/2003