Mission & Vision
Radio on the Lake Theatre is a professional theater company specifically dedicated to the creative development and educational outreach of the audio arts.
Garnering inspiration from the classic radio dramas of the 20th Century, the company creates opportunities for a new generation through script development, voice acting and sound effects instruction, educational initiatives and outreach to underserved communities, including low- and no-vision children and adults. Radio on the Lake Theatre seeks to become a guiding light for audio drama and podcasting in the Northeast Ohio region and beyond.
Guiding Principles
1. Radio on the Lake Theatre’s overarching mission is the promotion and advancement of the audio play art form.
2. Radio on the Lake Theatre is a catalyst for social good by giving voice to marginalized people in a safe environment.
3. Radio on the Lake Theatre provides educational opportunities for both children and adults, offering a safe platform to freely express themselves through acting, playwriting and directing.
The History of Radio on the Lake Theatre
Radio on the Lake Theatre was born in 2002 as the Arts Radio Network Theatre Project, with an emphasis on both radio drama and podcasting. Our first partnership was with public radio station WXEL in Boynton Beach, Florida. We later partnered with public radio station WLRN in Miami to create WLRN Radio Theatre, a series of classic radio plays that toured throughout Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, with recordings broadcast once a month on 90.3 FM.
While in Florida, we received a challenge grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to create the Inspired By… Series with WLRN. South Florida-based playwrights wrote new radio plays based on stories reported by the WLRN/ Miami Herald news team. These plays were performed and recorded at Florida International University’s Wolfsonian Museum, and broadcast on WLRN. We also received the inaugural Creative Endeavor grant from the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County to further our mission in the local community.
ARNTP relocated to Shaker Heights, Ohio in 2017 and was rechristened Radio on the Lake Theatre with a renewed purpose - to provide opportunities for students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and beyond. We have partnered with rganizations such as the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, Young Audiences Arts for Learning and the Cleveland Sight Center with an emphasis on social-emotional learning. We present programs such as Audio Storytelling, Voice Acting and Essentials of Podcasting. We also participate in Young Audiences’ RAISE (Responsive Arts in School Education) program, with two of our teaching artists receiving formal training from YA staff. ROTLT received its 501(c)(3) designation in June 2021.
