A behind the scenes look at the Olympia Little Theatre’s 2026-27 season 

Rachel Benton

Ah, I love this time of year — it is so bright and joyous as various artistic organizations announce their new seasons!  

The shows included Olympia Little Theatre (OLT)’s upcoming season are:  

• “Keep on Laughing” the sequel to “Exit Laughing” by Paul Elliot.  

• “Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery” 

• “The Gifts of the Magi” retold by OLT Artistic Director, Kendra Malm

• “Time Stands Still” by Donald Margulies

• “Four Old Broads” by Leslie Kimbell 

• “Mrs. Mannerly” by Jeffrey Hatcher 

• “Mynx & Savage” by Rebecca Gorman O’Neill 

Just as you should never judge a book by its cover, you cannot fully understand a story by its title alone.

As you consider what ticket package to purchase each season, I invite you to click on each of these shows and read what they are about.  

OLT Artistic Director Kendra Malm took the time to share fascinating behind the scenes insight with me, and I am honored that I get to share it all with you. 

May this column inspire you to join OLT’s audience this season. Season tickets, flex passes, and individual show tickets can be purchased here.  

Behind the scenes 

To give us a feel for how OLT chooses  shows, Malm walked me through the season creation process.  

It all begins with a call for proposals to directors in the area, who then submit plays they want to direct for OLT. Proposals include more than just the script, but how each director envisions bringing the show to life and how to deal with potential production issues.  

From there, the play reading committee and other OLT readers go through all the plays and rank them. Malm compiles all the rankings and begins to figure out which plays were loved and need to be included in the season, which ones might be possibilities for future seasons, and so on.  

Part of this process includes analyzing each show, how many cast members it requires (OLT’s maximum is a dozen), what set design expectations are (cannot be too technically difficult), and the themes of each show.

Shows with adult themes, racist and sexist rhetoric from previous generations, must all be vetted with an intentional eye. Each show must align with OLT’s values.  

OLT loves and understands their community of patrons, and that knowledge is vital to season selection as OLT considers what their patrons will or will not enjoy.  

Before the committee meets, Malm will mock up the season, showing what plays they have, what plays everyone likes, and then fits them into the right slots.

“I’ve got kind of a rhythm to how our seasons go,” Malm shared. 

Each year, OLT does a holiday show in December that acts as a sort of "anchor point” for the season. This year, Malm is penning the retelling of “The Gifts of the Magi.” I invite you to learn more about her ideas here.  

Keeping the tone of the holiday show in mind, the season gets built out with a carefully curated variety of shows. For OLT, a strong start to the season could look like a good comedy or an interesting mystery.  

Just as we soak in the dramatic weather of the wintertime, OLT always prepares a drama for January.

However, Malm shared that “depending on the way the Christmas play goes, it could be switched around a bit.” This is where the holiday show proves to be the anchor because if that show is a drama, then OLT might do a comedy in January instead.  

The closer OLT gets to the end of the season, the more experimental the shows become with the final show of the season being the most experimental.

According to Malm, OLT’s definition of experimental shows includes shows that people may not often see a community theatre do, but that the OLT community liked.  

Toward the end of our conversation, I asked Malm why are the arts so important?

 “Arts hold up a mirror to us,” Malm said. “It is through art that we can see each other, that we can see what is going on in the world, and how the world, how other people, and how our community affects us. Community' is part of our name and that is exactly what we are here for: the community.” 

OLT holds open auditions for the majority of their shows and all are welcomed. Whether you are in the cast, choose to help out with the backstage or front of house crew, or enjoy the comfort of your seat in the audience, there are adventures for everyone at OLT.  

All the information you need for OLT’s 2026-27 season can be found here.  

Rachel is a writer, arts advocate, performing arts enthusiast, and passionate about our beloved Thurston County. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in History and Political Science and minor in Music. You can enjoy more of Rachel's writings by visiting her website. All inquiries for Rachel can be submitted here.