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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The Little Theater on The Square in Sullivan,
3 Illinois celebrates its 50th Anniversary in 2007; and
 
4     WHEREAS, The Little Theater on the Square was founded in
5 1957 by Guy S. Little Jr., a Central Illinois native who
6 learned the theater craft in New York and Miami and came home
7 to Sullivan at the age of twenty-one to open his own theater;
8 and
 
9     WHEREAS, Mr. Little fulfilled his life-long dream to own
10 and operate a professional quality theater when The Little
11 Theater on the Square first raised its curtains in 1957 for a
12 performance of the play Brigadoon; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Over the years Mr. Little brought many stars of
14 the stage and screen to Sullivan to perform at his theater
15 including Mickey Rooney, Alan Alda, Ann Miller, Don Ameche,
16 Betty Grable, John Carradine, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Conrad, Pat
17 O'Brien, Peggy Cass, and Forrest Tucker; and
 
18     WHEREAS, For 22 years Mr. Little and his family ran every
19 aspect of the Little Theater including acting, directing,
20 producing, costume design, advertising, ticket sales, and
21 business management before moving on to pursue other ventures;

 

 

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1 and
 
2     WHEREAS, In 1981 The Little Theater on the Square began
3 operating as a not-for-profit corporation governed by a Board
4 of Trustees made up of Central Illinois residents; and
 
5     WHEREAS, In 1988 Leonard Anderson was selected from a group
6 of finalists to be the executive director of the theater; and
 
7     WHEREAS, Mr. Anderson built on the Little family's
8 achievements by continuing to grow the theater, including a new
9 ticket office, rehearsal studio, housing for the company, and
10 new amenities for patrons; and
 
11     WHEREAS, The Little Theater on the Square provides drama
12 and music classes to more than 275 students and includes a
13 youth touring program that brings theater performances to area
14 schools; and
 
15     WHEREAS, Since 1981 the Little Theater on the Square has
16 played to over 600,000 people and brings in an annual $3
17 million to the city of Sullivan; therefore, be it
 
18     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
19 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
20 congratulate Mr. Guy S. Little Jr., The Little Theater on the

 

 

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1 Square Inc., and Mr. Leonard Anderson on the 50th Anniversary
2 of The Little Theater on the Square; and be it further
 
3     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
4 presented to Mr. Guy S. Little Jr., the Little Theater on the
5 Square Inc., and Mr. Leonard Anderson as a symbol of our
6 respect.