MARQUETTE – Young actors get experience in school and youth productions throughout the fall and winter season, but when it comes to summertime, they get to share the stage and behind- the-scenes work with adults.

Lake Superior Theatre gives youth a chance to work with seasoned actors – which is a good experience for them – LST Business manager and Lake Superior Youth Theatre Artistic Director Nikke Nason said.

“I think that it’s a good experience for them to work with older, more experienced actors because it gets them a perspective of what goes into making a show in a more adult setting,” Nason said.

According to Nason, younger players help with choreography, music and behind-the-scenes, which they don’t get as much experience doing in groups like the Lake Superior Youth?Theatre. Most of the youth acting in LST productions have been, or are, in LSYT, which Nason said she thinks has made the transition easier for the youth.

“Some of the kids have had more experience than some of the adults on stage because of that program,” she said.

Maitri White, 15, plays June Xavier in LST’s current historical musical production “Beacon on the Rocks” and is also apart of LSYT. White said she decided to participate in LST when she was 9 years old. Her first production was “Beacon” back in 2008.

“I got started simply because when I first moved here I got into the youth theatre,” White said. “When it came to summer I noticed there were other shows that needed youth actors that weren’t specifically youth theatre, so I auditioned. I got in with the group here and it’s been fun.”

LST does all of their productions in a boat house in Marquette’s Lower Harbor. This venue is one of White’s favorite things about being a part of LST.

“Just to be down here in a boat house is really just a great feeling since our lives are so influenced by Lake Superior,” White said. “Being able to perform theater in a boat house, especially ‘Beacon on the Rock,’ is just something that I feel is very unique about Marquette. I really enjoy it.”

“Beacon on the Rock” tells about the immigrants who came to the Upper Peninsula and how they make a living in such a remote area. In the musical, White gets to work with actors from small children to adults. She said she enjoys working with this unique cast of people.

“My favorite part is just getting to work with a lot of different people that I wouldn’t necessarily get to work with in youth theatre or the high school or Northern,” White said. “I think it’s just a really great way for people who enjoy theatre to get together and work on a production that our community just really enjoys.”

Tia Anderson, 9, is a part of LSYT and is doing her first performance with LST this year, playing Cora Schmeltzer in “Beacon.” Anderson’s character is a German girl who’s coming to a new place but isn’t exactly happy about it.

“She has two sisters and she’s kind of like a mom to one of them, but she just wants to go back home,” Anderson said.

Anderson’s favorite part about LST is performing on stage and making lots of new friends, she said.

“I would like to continue to do LST because it’s really fun to do,” she said. “Other kids should try out, because once you start doing it, you just can’t stop because it’s so fun to do. You just want to keep doing it.”

For more information on Lake Superior Theatre and their upcoming performances visit www.lakesuperiortheatre. com

“It’s a great place for youth to get experience working with adults and how to put on a show,” Nason said.

Adelle Whitefoot can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 243. Her email address is awhitefoot@miningjournal.net.