Le Mars students to take center stage in a historic gym

LE MARS, Iowa (KCAU)– In 1905, the old Le Mars Central High School was opened and served as a place of learning until 1965 when the current school facility was built.

“This is the first time in 60 years that the high schoolers are returning to the stage,” said Luke Larson, a Le Mars Community High School senior.

What is now the Plymouth County Historical Museum used to be the city of Le Mar’s high school in the early to mid 1900s.

“The old Central gym here is very historic,” Larson said. “It was built in 1924 when it was expanded onto the high school and over the years from the ’20s, all the way up until the ’60s, all of Le Mars Community High School’s plays were in here along with the sports events, basketball and such.”

“In 1983 it was purchased as a museum,” Plymouth County Historical Museum vice president Julie Ford said. “There used to be one over by the old airport, and then that building closed down and we bought this one.”

The museum’s board of directors was approached with an idea for their up-and-coming banquet: to have Le Mars Community School District’s drama department put on a show on the old stage called “Parallel on the High Sea”.

“It kind of reminds me of the Love Boat,” Larson said. “It’s a big group of characters and they’re all kind of intermingling together on this boat as they travel from the U.S. over to Europe. And there’s a whole kind of, I don’t want to give anything away, but there’s a whole kind of villainous scheme that goes on there as well.”

Luke Larson not only plays the captain of the ship, but is also a part of the board of directors for the museum. Larson said this play being held at this location is a dream come true.

“I have a passion for history and for drama, and the worlds are kind of colliding here, and I’m really happy to be having this event here at the museum,” Larson said. “It just means a lot to me.”

“I think it’s amazing,” Ford said. “It tells me that history is coming back. People want to still come here bringing things or bring more people here.”

Le Mar’s students are set to take the stage May 16 for the banquet, and Ford told KCAU 9 she hopes to see the newer generation of students take the stage again next.

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