Building Connections in Rural Communities

In Season 3 Episode 7 of I So Appreciate You!, co-hosts Nadege Souvenir and Melanie Hoffert discuss with Bethany Lacktorin, executive and artistic director of Little Theatre Auditorium, the opportunities and challenges of running an arts organization in rural Minnesota. Bethany Lacktorin grew up in New London, MN, and her first experience with theater was at the Little Theatre Auditorium. Her career took her in many directions; professional audio engineer, sound designer, performance artist, media producer, musician, and community organizer. She returned to New London, after living in Minneapolis for a decade, when her mother became sick with cancer. After both her parents passed, Bethany questioned why she continued to stay in New London. In the end, it was her connection to the land and to her adopted mother’s family history in New London that solidified her reasons to stay. And unlike in the saturated markets of bigger cities, Bethany found that she could carve out her own space and bolster the art scene in rural Minnesota. She had so much she wanted to express, with years of experience and skills she wanted to use; when the theater opportunity opened to her, it became obvious that she was in the right place at the right time.

But not everyone in New London has felt the same sense of kismet as Bethany. Over the last few years, Bethany has been very intentional in shifting the narrative, opening the space to people of all ethnicities, backgrounds, and the LGBTQ+ community, and adapting the programming to create opportunities for these communities. Little Theatre Auditorium serves as a place where one can get on stage and represent their whole true self without fear of ridicule, harm, or ostracization. And this shift in ethos has empowered some people to show up as their true selves…and some to voice their discomfort.

“Progress can’t be made without discomfort.”

Bethany shares with Melanie and Nadege the experiences – positive and negative - she’s had as a result of some of the programming she’s put on. But Bethany isn’t deterred. She’s interested in the bigger picture, and offering opportunities, activities, and experiences that allow people to learn something new and a chance to connect with their neighbors in a way they haven’t before. To Bethany, isolation is a mind killer and is all too common in rural settings – that’s why she views the theater and the programming they put on as an act of community building and why she’s focusing her efforts on bolstering the arts community in her beloved hometown.

Links:

Little Theatre Auditorium Website

Star Tribune article: 'The Pride of Minnesota: Communities that beat the bigots'