The Skowhegan
Opera House

Bordering the mighty Kennebec River, the Skowhegan Opera House is an 840-seat hidden gem on the second floor of Skowhegan’s Municipal Building.  Built in 1907, it is on the National Register of Historic Places and has a rich history of an abundance of uses. In recent years, it has been underutilized and has become a space very much in need of stage equipment updates and renovations. Although funds have been raised by the town and by Friends of Skowhegan Opera House, the amount is minimal in comparison to what the updates and renovations will cost. That is where Lights Up Productions comes in!

We have been hard at work since becoming a Maine Nonprofit Organization on November 14, 2023. Since some interpret the meaning of the name Skowhegan to be “place to watch” on the banks of the Kennebec River, it became our mission to be accessible to all in our community and bring engaging arts and entertainment experiences to the historic Skowhegan Opera House.  This “place to watch” will become a destination that residents are proud of and visitors will fall in love with.

 Lights Up Productions has honored the use of our stage by scheduling much-cherished bi-annual dance recitals by our community dance schools. We have booked Maine comedian, Bob Marley. We have held community outreach events and have attended several Selectmen’s meetings to increase public awareness of our vision for the future and to gather input from a variety of people.

We will offer free quarterly Historical Tours, a full season of events in 2025, and sponsorship opportunities to support our updates and renovations. In addition to this, Lights Up Productions will begin to implement the construction of new public bathrooms on the lobby level, a new glass-enclosed stairway/fire escape overlooking the River Park, new backstage dressing rooms and bathrooms, and two new elevators – one for our patrons and one for backstage access.

Our big wish for 2025 is to have enough funding to hire an Executive Director who will help us develop our Master Plan.

Our Community Theater Group’s Skowhegan Ghost Tours are coming soon! Join us on October 24th, 25th, and 26th, starting and ending at the Skowhegan Municipal Building, for tours in groups of no more than 15 people at a time around and about the Flat Iron District. These tours are designed to be historical tours that will tell stories related to Skowhegan’s past with a spooky twist.

Since our start on November 14, 2023, Lights Up Productions has been dedicated to holding community outreach events with our friends and affiliates, which will continue moving forward.

During the annual SKOW-Whoville event, we will be on a float in the ever-growing Holiday Stroll Parade on Friday, December 6th!

On December 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd, we will have our first LUP-produced event for families – a reader’s theater of a condensed hour-long version of A Christmas Carol.

Stay tuned!