County Seat Theater celebrates 40-year milestone

CLOQUET, Minn.– A local gem in Carlton County has been shining a spotlight on community theater for 40 years now.

County Seat Theater got its start in Cloquet as a simple high school fundraiser for band uniforms.

The success of that one show led to several seasons of productions at Cloquet High School.

Over the years, their impact on the community brought them to their current space, on Highway 61.

The general manager of County Seat Theater said it’s heartwarming to see that continued support over the years.

“We’re like, the only really mainstay for community theater and not only that, but we also offer different arts, with the gallery openings and having concerts and all that kind of stuff that we can now, we can now do and offer that stuff. So, people just keep coming back and back because they just feel like they’re part of it. They’re part of the family, part of the story,” said Joel Soukkala, General Manager of the County Seat Theater.

To honor the 40th season they’re kicking it off by celebrating the theater family they’ve built through the production of ‘Mr. Toad’s Mad Adventures’.

“We still got veteran actors and new actors. And so, this first season that, this first show of our next season, is kind of all about that, kind of combining all of those elements of new, newcomers versus and with the with the senior actors. And it’s really a fun, fun production to do,” said Soukkala.

We’re told, the 40th season snuck up on the crew at County Seat Theater, and to stay tuned for even more celebrations throughout this milestone.