While Sight & Sound is preparing to open the curtains on their latest masterpiece, JESUS, we thought it’d be a perfect time to learn a little more about Lancaster County’s homegrown theatre sensation.
Sight & Sound Theatre is an awe-inspiring building inside and out. Its magnificent architecture is only surpassed by their grand productions. The 2000-seat theatre boasts a 300-foot stage that wraps around the audience on three sides. This offers a panoramic view of their captivating sets which feature structures up to 4 stories tall! However, this impressive theatre has humble beginnings.
Glenn Eshelman, founder of Sight & Sound Theaters, grew up on a rural dairy farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Inspired by the beauty of the rolling farmlands and untouched nature around him he began painting landscapes. As he got older, his passion for the arts only grew. Eventually, he purchased a camera to take reference photos for his paintings. Photography quickly became his primary medium and he was known to sell his photographs out of the trunk of his car early in his marriage to help make ends meet.
In 1964, Glenn shared his work at a local church using a slide projector, a turntable for musical underscore and a microphone for narration. The audience response was overwhelming—the first unofficial Sight & Sound show was a humble success. Within the next decade, Glen and his wife took their presentations across the country. As they gained popularity they were eventually able to invest in a permanent home for their productions and, in 1976, Living Waters Theatre opened for business. As years went on, Glenn and his wife continued to add live theatrical elements to their shows. In 1987 they premiered their first complete, full-length Biblical production: Behold the Lamb.
It didn’t take long for the theater group to outgrow Living Waters Theatre. In true Lancaster County style, their business and dreams expanded to a large plot of land just across the cornfield. In 1991 they opened the Entertainment Centre to rave reviews.
Six years into living their dream, a fire devastated the theatre. But the family’s hard work and passion for the arts was not to be snuffed out by this disaster. Only 18 months later, construction of their new building was complete. That building is the same incredible theatre destination that delights hundreds of thousands of guests every year. Even after 40 years of remarkable success, Sight & Sound Theatres remains a family-owned and led company in the hands of the next generation of the Eshelman family.
Their brand-new show premieres in March 2018 and promises to delve into the life and person of Jesus in new and unexpected ways. Experience the most famous man to walk the earth in an intimate, personal, and exciting adventure that showcases more than anything his relentless and life-changing love.
Tickets are sure to go fast! Get yours here and remember to book your stay with us!
