ALTON – Alton Little Theater needs $50,000 to repair a major plumbing issue.
The theater, located at 2450 Henry Street in Alton, has an aging sewer system that has “completely failed,” according to Eric Sykes, the new executive director. ALT has rescheduled several performances, and they’re asking for the community’s help to replace the sewer system.
“We have the components to survive and make it, if we could just get this repair done,” said Lee Cox, business manager. “We have a beautiful building. It’s nicer than a lot of community theaters. We have costumes and we have props and we have the things that we need, except now we need 200 feet of water pipe.”
According to the theater’s GoFundMe, ALT needs to replace the 70-year-old 150-foot sewer line that runs under the parking lot. The repairs will cost $30,000, and ALT anticipates they will lose $20,000 in revenue for the four to six weeks that they will be closed.
Sykes noted that community theaters already operate on “razor-thin margins,” and the “unexpected disaster” will greatly impact ALT’s ability to serve the community. He urged people to donate if they can.
“The 150-foot line running under our parking lot to the main sewer system needs full replacement,” Sykes said. “This is no small repair — it requires tearing up and reconstructing large portions of our parking lot to access and replace the damaged pipes.”
Cox explained that ALT has had a successful year, with sold-out shows since their production of “Oliver!” in the summer. The theater was “back in the black” after a stressful few years following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I was probably flying as high as I could be in early December, and then this happened, and I was just devastated,” Cox said. “We just don’t have the funds for this kind of repair.”
The plumbing issue has caught them completely by surprise, without “any warning at all,” she added. When the pipes backed up in mid-December, ALT rented “the Taj Mahal of mobile potties” for $2,700 for four days, so the theater could finish its run of “A Christmas Carol.” But now they need to replace the pipes so they can return to their 91st season.
Cox added that the first three months of the year “has always been our low time,” with fewer ticket sales until their season ticket campaign in spring. They are asking for donations to keep the theater afloat.
“Even $5 can make a difference if thousands of people give that,” Cox said. “We are not expecting people to write big checks, and we don’t want them to feel any pressure and then put it away. We need $30–50,000, but we think we could get it maybe by the entire region supporting us.”
Cox and Sykes emphasized that no performances have been canceled. Their “Sing in the New Year” concert has been rescheduled for Feb. 15, 2025, and their run of “The Exes” will take place in March, with evening performances on March 14, 15, 20 and 21 and matinee performances on March 16, 22 and 23. They are determined to finish their 91st season following repairs.
For more information about ALT’s upcoming performances, visit their official Facebook page or website at AltonLittleTheater.org. To donate, check out the theater’s official GoFundMe.
“This year has been magical, so I thank the universe. I do thank God,” Cox added. “We’re going to get it fixed, but meanwhile we’re just going to keep singing our hearts out and playing our hearts out.”
