Hollywood, History, and Theatre in Bay St. Louis

In Hancock County, a beloved home for community theatre has endured for more than eighty years

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Getaways

Beautiful things happen on Blaize Avenue. An old building there, in the heart of downtown Bay St. Louis, is often packed with people of a shared belief system. These folks, they believe in the power of the arts—and more specifically, in the power of a well-told story. They believe in the importance of supporting both creativity and personal connection in their coastal Mississippi community. From its old wooden floors to its gable dormers, the property housing the nonprofit Bay St. Louis Little Theatre comes alive when actors take to the stage before an always-packed house. 

In an age when our landscapes are increasingly dominated by big box retailers and duplicate tract houses, places that breathe the spirit of the past can connect us to a world that feels as though it is disappearing. That world—where foundational arts flourish and people come together to connect over shared passions—thrives in the Depot District of the Bay. 

The theatre, which has existed in some form for an astonishing eighty years, took up residence in its current home in 2010. The two-and-a-half story building was erected between 1916 and 1918. The cinder-block style bricks used in the construction are believed by some to have been hand-shaped by the original owner of the home, Andrea Scafide, who was a wholesale dealer of building materials, groceries, and general merchandise. The unique bricks, which are described in documents held by the Hancock County Historical Society as “rusticated concrete block,” are also found in the wall that surrounds the St. Stanislaus Catholic Boys School football field, a half mile down the road. The first floor of this Queen Anne-influenced structure was used as Scafide’s general store.

“When you see a show here, you are seated in a ‘ma and pa’ grocery store. Mr. Scafide put it together, brick by brick,” said Cheryl Grace, president of the theatre’s board of directors. After the Scafides’ tenure in the building, it served briefly as home to a bottling operation by Bay Ice, Light and Bottling Works—which processed seltzers, ginger ale, and an amaretto-flavored soft drink called Dr. Nut. For decades after the bottling facility closed, the building was abandoned and fell into neglect. It was vacant for forty years. 

In 2005, damage caused by the winds and tidal rush of Hurricane Katrina—which decimated much of Bay St. Louis—seemed to be the final nail in the coffin. That is, until the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre, which had just lost its longtime playhouse to the storm—decided to use the necessity of finding a new home as a reason for saving at least one old structure in The Bay. 

At that point, the Blaize Avenue beauty had been condemned. The deed was signed within days of the building being bulldozed (the dozer was, in fact, already onsite). A grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission, combined with private donations and memberships, helped restore the building to its former glory and solidify a new home for theatre in Hancock County. 

“Having the building owned and occupied by a nonprofit organization such as the Little Theatre makes it a relevant property in our community,” said Chris Roth, president of the Historical Society. For its historical significance, in 2011, the Mississippi Department of Archives and History designated the building a Mississippi Landmark. 

When Grace speaks of the building’s history, she becomes palpably excited. Before each stage performance, the board presents a pre-show presentation about the history of the space. When, at one point, they briefly dispensed with the tradition, patrons complained and demanded its return. No matter how many times they’d heard it before, they wanted to hear it again. There is always a drive to connect with bygone days, especially for longtime locals who remember when The Bay was a sleepy little town popular with wealthy New Orleanians as a vacation retreat. Those were days when the silty, brackish waves lapped directly against stepped concrete seawalls instead of rolling up to the white sand beaches you’ll find there today. 

Some of the most fascinating stories associated with the Scafide Building are of the Hollywood variety. At the height of its abandonment, in the 1960s, film location scouts became so enamored by the building’s exterior that they selected it to represent the Starr Boarding House in the 1966 film featuring Robert Redford and Natalie Wood, This Property is Condemned. The screenplay was by Francis Ford Coppola, but it was based on a one-act play by the same name, written by Tennessee Williams. 

While most of the filming took place in front of the building’s exterior, Grace said there was one scene shot inside. “It’s the one where Robert Redford is standing at his boarding house window, looking down at Natalie Wood on a swing,” she said. 

On the day of the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre’s opening in the Scafide Building in October 2010, the occasion’s guests of honor were the Oscar-nominated Mary Badham—best known as the actress who portrayed Scout Finch in the classic film version of To Kill a Mockingbird—and Jon Provost, best known for portraying the beloved character Timmy in the Lassie television series of the 1950s, ‘60s, and ‘70s. The two former child stars, who portrayed Willie Starr and Tom, respectively, in This Property is Condemned, sat onstage and graciously recounted memories of filming the opening scenes just across the street from where they sat that day, alongside the CSX railroad tracks of Bay St. Louis. They waxed nostalgic about the time spent filming on those tracks, in the stifling heat of Mississippi.

According to Grace—who in addition to her work on the board, is an actor and director—the past fifteen years since re-opening in the Scafide have been incredible ones. In a time when many arts nonprofits struggle to stay afloat, the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre continues to thrive. 

“We get great support from the community,” she said. When a show is opening, she said, there’s no way you won’t hear about it if you live downtown. “You’ll hear the buzz on the show being talked about in our little local restaurants,” she said.

Cast members enjoy statuses as local celebrities over the course of their show’s run, often getting noticed on the streets or in the local grocery. 

“It’s an uplifting connection,” Grace summarized, describing the value of what she has spent so many years working to build. 

In addition to being a kind of community anchor, the theatre provides opportunity for creativity to thrive in Bay St. Louis.

“It allows opportunities for people who have never thought about acting to experience it,” she said, adding that in this past fall’s production of To Kill a Mockingbird, the cast of twenty-two included twelve who were first-time community theatre participants. 

“The age range goes from ten to ninety-one,” she said, explaining that the oldest cast and crew will often be seen sitting right alongside the youngest, interacting, learning, establishing connections. “Being a team member with eight decades between your ages…for everybody to feel that, it’s just…incredible.”

In addition to offering opportunities for aspiring actors, set designers, and directors—the theatre’s one-act play competition encourages local playwrights to share their work with their community. Funded by a Mississippi Arts Grant, the event is a remarkable opportunity, she said, to see emerging writers, who are seated in the front row, watch their stories come to life onstage. 

“It is so overwhelming to watch the playwrights,” Grace said. “It is amazing because it’s our own Mississippi writers.” 

It all goes back to the theatre’s legacy, she said, pointing out that This Property is Condemned started out as a one-act play, too. 

Today, if you pass by the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre and look up, you’ll observe what Grace affectionately calls “The Robert Redford Room.” There, perched in the window, is a life-sized cutout of Redford, standing where the actor stood decades ago, but now looking out at a Bay St. Louis that has evolved and grown. What was once dilapidated and condemned following the wrath of Katrina now thrives as never before. In the two decades of recovery and growth since that storm inundated Hancock County, Bay St. Louis has transformed to become a rising destination on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. People come here to experience the charm and slower pace of coastal life. As a symbol of that resilience and community spirit, that old Blaize Avenue building near the railroad tracks is a force to be reckoned with.

Upcoming Productions at Bay St. Louis Little Theatre

  • “The Carol Burnett Show”  |  Dec. 5, 6 and 7
  • “The Lion in Winter”  |  Jan. 23, 24, 25, 30, 31, and Feb. 1
  • “Always a Bridesmaid” |  Mar. 20, 21, 22, 27, 28 and 29
  • “Stella” Yelling Contest  |  March 21
  • “Judgment at Nuremberg"  |  June 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20

Places to Stay in the Bay 

If you’ve come to town to see a show, don’t hop back into the car (or onto the train) to head home too soon. Bay St. Louis is positively bristling with charming, independent B&Bs and boutique hotels. Here are three, all situated within reasonable walking distance of the theatre. 

• Carroll House Cottages Bed and Breakfast, 304 Carroll Avenue

About a seventeen-minute amble from the theatre, Carroll House B&B occupies a meticulously restored home in the heart of Old Town Bay St. Louis that dates from the 1890s. Pet-friendly rooms and separate cottages are available. Cottages begin at $400 with a two night minimum. carrollhousebnb.com.

• The Pearl Hotel, 104 North Beach Blvd

A sleek and well-appointed boutique hotel situated right on the waterfront, eighteen minutes’ walk from the theatre. Be sure to check out the Pearl’s in-house restaurant, the Thorny Oyster, brainchild of acclaimed restaurateurs Jeff and Amy Hansell. Rooms $130–$250/night. pearlbsl.com.

• Bay Town Inn, 208 North Beach Blvd

A twenty-minute walk from the theatre, the Bay Town Inn offers easy access to the beach and the bay. Marked by its airy, elegant design, the inn also boasts a saltwater pool situated in the middle of a verdant courtyard. $210–$350/night. baytowninn.com.

Bay St. Louis Little Theatre

398 Blaize Avenue, Bay St. Louis, MS

 (228) 467-9024

bsllt.org