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MIDDLETOWN — Middletown Lyric Theatre marks its 30th anniversary than year by doing much more than saying "Hey, let's put on some shows."

In addition to its regular roster of plays, the theater will also hold workshops and partner with a number of community organizations to reach out through more than just acting.

First out of the gate is the event "Kip & Company" event at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 5, and Saturday, Sept. 6, which pairs singer William "Kip" Moore with Lyric Theatre veterans on songs from "Hairspray," "Wicked," "Jesus Christ Superstar," and more. Lyric Theatre representatives will be on hand to talk about the history of the company and outline its plans for the year.

"We have a theme going on this year of trying to open the doors to the community," said Charley Shafor, the artistic director of Lyric Theatre. "It's like a brand new beginning to a nice long tradition."

That new beginning entails more cooperation with other community organizations and working with new people.

"We really want to try and get back to the community and get back to a lot of community involvement. For many years it's been the same people doing the bulk of the work, and we really want to try and reach out and get people reinvolved" Shafor said.

For most of its main shows, the theater will pair up with a business or nonprofit agency to promote their work. The first will be "The Smell of the Kill," a macabre comedy about three wives who find themselves in a dilemma when their husbands lock themselves in a meat locker. To let them out, or not let them out, that is the question. That show will be on Sept. 19, 20, 26 and 27, sponsored by the Mad Housewife winery, which will offer samples at all shows.

Middletown Lyric Theatre kickoff

When: 8 pm. Sept. 5 and 6

Where: Middletown Lyric Thetre, 1530 Central Ave.

Cost: $12.

Info: Call (513) 425-7140

Theater sponsoring various events in community

Middletown Lyric Theatre's roster not only offers theater for all ages, but it also offers all kinds of opportunities for people to learn about the craft of theater, with a particular focus on youth.

After "The Smell of the Kill," the next show is "Greetings," a holiday comedy running Nov. 14, 15, 21 and 22, is presented with Hope House, Middletown's homeless shelter that will take donations during the shows.

A double bill of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and "Twas One Crazy Night Before Christmas" playing Dec. 12, 13 and 14 will benefit One Way Farm, a Fairfield-based children's home.

Performances of "Jar the Floor" on Feb. 13, 14, 20 and 21 will benefit Louella Thompson's Dream Center, which serves food to the needy.

Additional shows include "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks" April 24, 25 and 26, and one of Lyric Theatre's most popular shows, the murder mystery dunner theater. "Bingo Spells Murder" will play on March 27 and 28 at the Miriam Knoll Community Center on the Miami University Middletown campus.

In October, November, January, March and April, Lyric Theatre will present Friday Night Frolics, a new program that teaches children in third through sixth grades about masters of the art world, including theater. Another new program is a performance course in acting called Scene Study Classes, with sessions in October, January and April.

Lyric Theatre also has its Drama Club, the youth theater group, with performances benefitting MANY, Middletown Area Neediest Youth, which provides clothing for schoolchildren.

These performances include two short works, "Three Short Plays of Character" and "The Sound of Halloween," to be presented Oct. 17 and 18. Auditions for this show, for fourth through eighth grades, are at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 6, at the theater.

The next offering, "A Woman Called Truth," is about the life of Sojourner Truth, an abolitionist and women's rights activist. That will be presented during Black History Month on Feb. 27 and 28.

The final offering of the drama club is "The Surprising Story of the Three Little Pigs," as the pigs and other proverbial characters ponder what would happen if there really wasn't a "happily ever after." That show will be on May 8 and 9.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2836 or erobinette@coxohio.com.