The Albert Lea Community Theatre is currently in its 46th season, and Treasurer Deanne Winegar has been involved in it since its start.

“If you have a passion for the theater, it stays with you forever,” Winegar said.

Winegar said she likes that people from all walks of life can and are involved in the theater. She mentioned that they’re always looking for more people to audition or to help out behind the scenes in any of the various jobs needed to make productions.

“When you’re working together it’s just like a big family,” Winegar said.

She said the theater has been successful, though they’re losing volunteers more recently. She hopes to find a way to get more people involved and said the board would take suggestions about how to get more volunteers.

“The community’s been good to us and we’ve been an integral part of the community too,” Winegar said.

Act by the numbers

1965 – the year that Albert Lea Community Theatre started. Productions were originally held in Southwest Middle School’s Little Theater, before it moved to its current location on Broadway Avenue.

250 – seats in the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center on Broadway Avenue.

1,500 – the largest number of season ticket holders ACT had; now the number hovers around the 600 mark.

200 – productions had been held in ACT’s history at the end of 2010. An average of four productions are held each year.

14 – members on the ACT board, many of whom are involved in plays.

$70,000 – yearly budget for ACT, and treasurer Deanne Winegar said most of that money is spent in Albert Lea and the surrounding areas. ACT pays $10,000 to the city of Albert Lea in rent each year.