Lakeland Theatre

Lakeland Civic Theatre

Lakeland Community College operates a civic theatre program that is open for any student or community member to join by audition.

Exceptional play and musical productions occur twice per year, once in the fall and another in the spring semesters. Performers, stagehands, and the technical crew can include equity actors, community members and students. All professional performances are held in the Dr. Wayne L. Rodehorst Performing Arts Center, where every seat has a great view and an intimate theater feel.

Seeking artists and audience members! The current Arts schedule gives the full listing of all Arts at Lakeland events and you can purchase tickets for performances online or in our box office. For detailed information about prior performances, see our concert, gallery and theater event programs.

To provide a learning environment that fosters theatrically aesthetic literacy and expressive capability through the cultivation of theatrical techniques and skills and the exploration of creative traditions and possibilities.

Director/producer/artistic director Dr. Martin Friedman has been an adjunct instructor in theatre arts and communications at Lakeland Community College for over 20 years, at Baldwin Wallace University for almost 10 years, and John Carroll University for 32 years. His most recent directing and producing credits include "If-Then," "Inspector General," "Freaky Friday," "Violet," "Light in the Piazza," "The Bridges of Madison County," "Assassins," "Anyone Can Whistle," "Sweeny Todd," "To Kill a Mockingbird," "The Heidi Chronicles," "Pride and Prejudice" (twice), "Other People's Money," "Noises Off" (twice), "Putting It Together," "The Imaginary Invalid," "Cabaret," "The Miser," "She Loves Me," "The Diary of Anne Frank," "Plaza Suite," "I Hate Hamlet" (twice), "A Little Night Music" (twice), "Company," "Death of a Salesman" (twice), "Measure for Measure," "Sunday in the Park With George" three times), "Into the Woods" (twice), "All My Sons," "Blithe Spirit" (twice), "Private Lives," "Brighton Beach Memoirs" (twice), "Merrily We Roll Along" (twice), "Sylvia" (twice), "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," and "Crimes of the Heart" among others. Dr. Friedman holds a B.S. degree in theater education from Emerson College (Boston), an M.A. and a Ph.D. in theater from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), and a certificate in nonprofit management from Case Western Reserve University's Mandel School of nonprofit Organizations. As a communications consultant, Dr. Friedman has worked with law firms and businesses on how to improve communications with employees and the public, and on the development of diversity programs using theatrical scenarios.

Lakeland students and community members are encouraged to audition for our Civic Theatre.

All college students and community adults.

The Lakeland Civic Theatre rehearses nearly every day in the early fall and spring semesters, typically in the evening. Schedules are set by the director once the cast is finalized.

Dr. Wayne L. Rodehorst Performing Arts Center. Find us on our campus map here!

All performers must be able to commit to two to four hour rehearsals and all performance dates for the respective production.

Acceptance into the Lakeland Civic Theatre is by audition. Please contact Lakeland's Civic Theatre director for more information.

• The Gallery at Lakeland
• Lakeland Civic Music

Plays and Musicals produced by Lakeland Civic Theatre (1998-2019). All productions directed by Dr. Martin Friedman unless otherwise noted.

• "If/Then" (Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt) February 2020.
• "Inspector General" (Nicolai Gogol) September 2019.
• "Freaky Friday" (based on the 1972 novel by Mary Rodgers; music and lyrics by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey; book by Bridget Carpenter) February 2019.
• "A Little Night Music" (music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; book by Hugh Wheeler) September 2018.
• "Merrily We Roll Along" (music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; book by George Furth) February 2018.
• "The Guide's Guide to Lawnfield" (Faye Sholiton) October 2017.
• "The Bridges of Madison County" (music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown; book of the musical by Marsha Norman) February 2017.
• "The Last Five Years" (written and composed by Jason Robert Brown) September/October 2016.
• "Into the Woods" (music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; book by James Lapine) February 2016.
• "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (written by Edward Albee) September/October 2015.
• "Violet" (music by Jeanine Tesori; lyrics by Brian Crawley) January/February 2015.
• "August: Osage County" (Tracy Letts) September/October 2014.
• "The Light in the Piazza" (book by Craig Lucas; music and lyrics by Adam Guettel) January/February 2014.
• "Boeing Boeing" (Marc Camoletti) September/October 2013.
• "Next to Normal" (book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey; music by Tom Kitt) February 2013.
• "Proof" (David Auburn) September/October 2012.
• "Anyone Can Whistle" (book by Arthur Laurents; music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim) February 2012.
• "November" (David Mamet) September/October 2011.
• "Assassins" (book by John Weidman; music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim) February 2011.
• "An Ideal Husband" (Oscar Wilde) October 2010.
• "Death of a Salesman" (Arthur Miller) February 2010.
• "Private Lives" (Noel Coward) October 2009.
• "Sweeney Todd" (book by Hugh Wheeler; music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim) February 2009.
• "The Importance of Being Earnest" (Oscar Wilde) October 2008.
• "To Kill a Mockingbird" (Harper Lee, adapted by Christopher Sergel) October 2007.
• "Barrymore" (William Luce) July 2007.
• "Born Yesterday" (Garson Kanin) February 2007.
• "Pride and Prejudice" (Jane Austen, adapted by James Maxwell) October 2006.
• "Sunday in the Park with George" (book by James Lapine; music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim) July 2006.
•  "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (Tennessee Williams) February 2006.
• "Philadelphia, Here I Come" (Brian Friel) October 2005. Directed by Sarah May.
• "Peter Pan or The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up" (J.M.Barrie) July 2005.
• "Other Peoples' Money" (Jerry Sterner) February 2005.
• "Pride and Prejudice" (Jane Austen, adapted by James Maxwell) October 2004.
• "Putting It Together" (book by Julia McKenzie, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim) July 2004.
• "Noises Off" (Michael Frayn) February 2004.
• "Talley's Folly" (Lanford Wilson) October 2003. Directed by Gregory Violand.
• "Into the Woods" (book by James Lapine; music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim) July 2003.
• "The Imaginary Invalid" (Moliere) February 2003.
• "Black Comedy" (Peter Shaffer) October 2002.
• "Long Day's Journey into Night" (Eugene O'Neill) February 2002.
• "Sylvia" (A.R.Gurney) October 2001.
• "Bed and Sofa" (book by Laurence Klavan, music by Polly Pen) July 2001. Directed by Gustavo Urdaneta.
• "She Loves Me" (book by Joe Masteroff; lyrics by Sheldon Harnick; music by Jerry Bock) July 2001.
• "Plaza Suite" (Neil Simon) January 2001.
• "I Hate Hamlet" (Paul Rudnick) October 2000.
• "A Little Night Music" (book by Hugh Wheeler; music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim) July 2000.
• "Company" (book by George Furth; music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim) May 2000.
• "Measure for Measure" (William Shakespeare) March 2000.
• "Death of a Salesman" (Arthur Miller) February 2000.
• "Arsenic and Old Lace" (Joseph Kesselring) October 1999. Directed by Mitchell Fields.
• "All My Sons" (Arthur Miller) May 1999.
• "I Do, I Do" (book and lyrics by Tom Jones; music by Harvey Schmidt) February 1999. Directed by Gustavo Urdaneta.
• "Brighton Beach Memoirs" (Neil Simon) September 1998.

The following images are a sample of scenes from our most recent theater production.