By Krystal Moralee

In the quaint waterfront communities along the St. Clair River, something ambitious is happening. The lights are bright, the curtains are rising, and audiences are filling seats for productions that rival what people might expect to find in far larger cities.

It’s high-quality theater, but it’s not high-brow, and that’s exactly what Kathy Vertin, founder of Thumbcoast Live Theaters, had in mind when she dreamed it up with hopes of bringing more people to the sunrise coast of Michigan.

“The towns along the St. Clair River should be a destination for Michigan,” said Vertin.

That vision continues to grow with support from the Community Foundation of St. Clair County and its regional funds. Most recently, the St. Clair Endowment Funds Committee awarded Thumbcoast Live Theaters a $65,000 grant, including $15,000 for marketing efforts designed to attract new audiences to the Blue Water region and $50,000 to support the organization’s Performing Arts Academy. The goal is not only to invest in local talent, but also to strengthen placemaking efforts that encourage visitors to shop, dine, and explore communities along the waterfront.

In 2012, Vertin was living on Harsens Island, dreaming out loud about a regional theater with paid actors and real talent. That vision first took shape in 2013 with the opening of the Snug Theatre in downtown Marine City, a 98-seat venue that sold out every production in its first season. Soon after, the neighboring bank building went on the market, leading to the creation of the 180-seat Riverbank Theatre, which allowed the organization to expand to year-round productions.

Today, Thumbcoast Live Theaters includes three venues: the Snug Theatre and Riverbank Theatre in Marine City, along with the 370-seat Boardwalk Theatre in St. Clair, which opened in 2023 after a fundraising effort that raised roughly $4 million.

“It was really a community effort,” Vertin said, noting that the Community Foundation played a significant role in helping make the project possible.

Each venue serves a different role. The Boardwalk Theatre hosts larger musicals and productions, while the Riverbank Theatre features smaller plays and musicals. The intimate Snug Theatre has become home to cabaret acts and more experimental performances.

“It’s just a really cool space for that kind of intimate production,” Vertin said.

While the productions feature a mix of local and out-of-area performers, audiences are often surprised by the caliber of the work.

“The level of professionalism of our productions is so high, and people don’t expect that,” she said. “We pride ourselves on that.”

In 2015 Thumbcoast Live Theaters launched its Performing Arts Academy, offering classes and summer camps for students from first through 12th grade. During the intensive week-long summer camps, students spend Monday through Thursday learning their lines and rehearse on Friday before performing a full production on Saturday.

“It’s amazing to see how these kids retain the material and perform it,” Vertin said.

She believes performing builds confidence and communication skills that benefit students long after they leave the stage, and the academy fills a void in theater education for younger children interested in the arts.

“If it weren’t for the Community Foundation, I don’t know if we’d be able to fill that void to the extent that we do,” she said.

“We view our funding as an investment in community development,” said Will Oldford, Board Chair of the Community Foundation and resident of St. Clair.  “Our local endowment funds have been major funders for local arts and culture for decades.”

This summer, Thumbcoast will celebrate its 100th production with Footloose, alongside a season that includes the musical Chicago, a fun behind-the-scenes look at the movie Jaws with The Shark is Broken, a glimpse into online dating after the age of 50 with Love or Best Offer, and holiday performances of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, as well as other fun and entertaining shows throughout the year. The goal is to make it accessible to everyone.

“What we do is uplifting,” Vertin said. “Everyone is united in a laugh. Everyone cries a tear or two.”

To learn more about upcoming productions or purchase tickets, visit thumbcoasttheaters.com. To support these and other programs and projects that strengthen communities throughout the Blue Water region, visithttps://stclairfoundation.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/list?showlist=1 to make a contribution through the Community Foundation.