A Home for Every Young Artist
The Lyche Education and Production (LEAP) Center is LCT’s bold step into the future: a place designed to support creativity, education, and inclusion at every stage of the theatrical process. From rehearsals and classes to set construction and youth performances, the LEAP Center gives our artists, students, and volunteers the space they need to grow.
When La Crosse Community Theatre purchased the historic building at 724 Cass Street, we didn’t just see a former church — we saw possibility.
The LEAP Center We've Built So Far
Thanks to early leadership support and generous community investment, Phase 1 of the LEAP Center is complete. Today, the building already includes:
- A dedicated, expanded scene shop where sets can be built safely and efficiently
- Organized, accessible costume storage
- A newly built stage that has already hosted rehearsals, classes, and performances
These improvements have already changed how we work — allowing shows like Disney’s Frozen to rehearse primarily at the LEAP Center and giving students and volunteers a space designed specifically for them.
What Comes Next: People First
The next phases of the LEAP Center are about access and opportunity, especially for young people.
Future improvements will make the building fully accessible with an ADA-compliant lift and restrooms, ensuring every student, performer, and volunteer can move freely through the space. We will also transform the former sanctuary into a fully equipped youth performance venue with professional lighting, sound, and curtains — a third stage dedicated to education and youth theatre.
These upgrades are essential for programs like The Penguin Project, which pairs youth with disabilities with peer mentors to perform a full musical together, and Altra Star Academy, where hundreds of young performers take their first steps on stage each year.
More Than a Building
The LEAP Center is more than rehearsal rooms and construction projects. It’s a promise — that no child is turned away because of space, ability, or access. It’s a place where confidence is built, friendships are formed, and creativity is nurtured in a safe, welcoming environment.
By investing in the LEAP Center, we’re building a permanent home for arts education in our region — one that will serve students, families, artists, and the broader community for generations to come.
Together, we’re creating a place where every child can take their first bow.
Read the story of how La Crosse Community Theatre is transforming a historic church at 724 Cass Street into the Lyche Education and Production (LEAP) Center—a creative home built for young artists, educators, volunteers, and the entire community.
Inside, you’ll learn why LCT needed to “LEAP” forward, how the first phase has already expanded rehearsal, storage, and production space, and what’s next as we work to make the building fully accessible and open to every child.
At its heart, this document is about more than a building—it’s about creating a place where creativity, inclusion, and belonging can grow for generations to come.
Help LCT LEAP Into the Future
The LEAP Center holds immense promise for LCT. But we can't do it alone!
Now is YOUR chance to become part of the profound impact this expansion will have on the future of La Crosse Community Theatre.
Take a LEAP with us into the future
