Since 1979, the Snipes have worked tirelessly to ensure access to the arts for generations of Kentucky children and families, and LCT’s Board of Directors and staff want to ensure that their legacy lives on through the establishment of a legacy fund.  While the time came for the Snipes to retire, they have not stopped dreaming of all that LCT can be.  Their hope is that a legacy fund will allow the new leadership to “focus on the work and the art and the exploration” and to take risks, but lead with “their heart and lead with their passion for what we can do.”   

In the summer of 1979, Larry and Vivian were on their honeymoon when they received a call from the Board of Directors offering Larry the position of Producing Director – just a few weeks later, they moved to Lexington to begin transforming the organization into a professional theatre.  That year, LCT’s budget was $40,000.  Today, LCT is a $1,300,000 company providing arts and arts education to over 100,000 young people across Kentucky and beyond every year.  And though they would be the first to point to the hundreds of artists and administrators that have worked at LCT over the last 40 years as the cause, this is in very large part due to Larry and Vivian Snipes.  

It is no exaggeration to state that over a million children have participated in programming with LCT during the Snipes’ tenure, whether they saw a touring production in their school, took a theatre school class, or came to see a play on a field trip.   Whether through working with the Snipes directly or one of the hundreds of teaching artists, directors, or interns that have proudly served under them, generations of Kentucky’s young people have had the privilege of learning the values, ideals, and integrity that have made the Snipes remarkable leaders for the last 40 years. 

For Larry and Vivian, it all comes back to the young people – as Vivian says, “it’s about a student on stage finally making connections with the word and understanding that there’s meaning behind the words rather than just the words on the page.”  It is about every person finding the artistry within, learning empathy and providing opportunities, and opening young people’s eyes to the possibilities in life.  What better way to honor the legacy of a lifetime of work than ensuring that all young people in Kentucky have these opportunities?  

While this chapter in LCT (and the Snipes’) story may be ending, a new one has already begun! While the community is sad to see the Snipes go, it is also a time to celebrate all they have built.  As Vivian says, “Once upon a time, a group of people got together and created a theatre.  And then…”