It takes a village to keep a community theater going, but it takes heart and soul, too. Paul Deaner, executive director of the Lake Superior Community Theatre in Silver Bay, knows this well. After various setbacks between 2019 and 2025, the community has come back together to share a one-act play called Tracks this April.
Lake Superior Community Theatre (LSCT) was created in 2002 by theater-loving individuals who wanted to bring musicals up the shore. It was incorporated in 2007 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. LSCT productions are staged at William M. Kelley High School in Silver Bay. In the past, productions have also traveled to Two Harbors and Duluth.
Deaner, who now carries several titles including director, producer, and lighting designer, has been around since the beginning.
“I’m backtracking, but we’ve put on a lot of wonderful plays. We put on Fences by August Wilson, which was the first time folks could recall that an all-Black cast from Duluth performed a fully funded production. That was really memorable. The Sunshine Boys, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, Annie, Cinderella, Guys and Dolls, The Music Man, modern dance and ballet concerts, vocal performances—they were all wonderful,” said Deaner.
So why the hiatus? “Our community theater is not a program; it’s based on inspiration,” said Deaner.
In 2019, the theater did not have that inspiration or idea. From 2020 to 2021, the world was dealing with COVID-19. In 2022, the lead actress of the play became very ill close to performance time. In 2024, the play was somewhat overshadowed by an unfortunate event involving a high school student who, in very poor taste, made a “joke.” In 2025, it was another down year.
This year, the performance is not a musical, but a one-act play.
“I had helped with one-act play competitions for high school teams on a couple of occasions. I thought I might direct this season, but the ones I looked at didn’t grab me. Tracks did,” said Deaner.
The high school competition puts parameters on the artistic development of the play that Deaner wasn’t comfortable with, so he decided to make it into a community production.
“We are running about 50 to 55 minutes with this play. Sometimes that deep meaning comes from nothing being said at all, and that needs to not be rushed,” he said.
Tracks is a Twilight Zone-esque story about what happens when individuals die and must make decisions in the moment to get them on the “correct” path, whether to heaven or hell. There is some dark humor and an edgy quality to the story, but Deaner describes it as thought-provoking.
“Tracks deals with people who are confronting the possibility of not only being dead, but also having to make these big choices,” said Deaner.
If individuals are interested in getting involved with LSCT, Deaner welcomes them. “I would tell them to give me a call. Tell me you want to jump on in. Tell me you’ve got an idea, and I can help you. Reach out to me. Give me a call or send me an email, and come see a show,” Deaner said.
Why is community theater so important in Silver Bay? Deaner said much about theater is timely.
“It matters because it’s more than people reciting words on a stage; it’s a foundation. It’s a platform of life. People represent society and the world. Art is godliness that has broad impact and can change a life and make a life better,” said Deaner.
Tracks will be shown at the William M. Kelley Auditorium April 9-11, 17, and 18 at 7 p.m., and April 12 and 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Online ticket sales are available at: tix.com/ticket-sales/lsct/2397.
Zup’s Foods in Silver Bay will also provide ice cream for an ice cream social following the shows. For additional information about the theatre, contact Paul Deaner at 218-353-7509.