Ross and Lola Ramsey. Courtesy photo
BY JENNIFR MCCUMBER
Executive Director
Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation
The community of Los Alamos is invited to the celebration for the Ross and Lola Ramsey Stage on March 17th at 6:00pm in the Duane Smith Auditorium lobby, prior to the Olions performance of Pippin at 7:00pm. The celebration will include refreshments and the unveiling of a plaque honoring the Ramseys and their contribution to the community, along with the announcement of the first scholarship recipient of the Ross and Lola Ramsey Memorial Scholarship. The community and especially Los Alamos High School alumni are encouraged to attend the celebration and stay for the performance of Pippin. Tickets for Pippin can be purchased here.
The Olions’ performance of Pippin will be the inauguration of the newly named Ramsey Stage at Duane Smith Auditorium. With the help of over 50 donors, including a matching gift of $20,000 by former student Peg Watt Larson and her husband Paul, the “Light up the Stage for the Ramseys” campaign is closing in on the goal of raising $40,000 to finance state-of-the-art stage lighting, a plaque, and an annual scholarship for a graduating senior.
It’s not too late to help reach the donation goal! Please donate here. Share your memories of Ross and Lola Ramsey and the Olions at ramseystage@gmail.com. Questions? Contact LAPS Foundation at 505-500-6501.
Ross and Lola Ramsey worked as a team to manage the Civic Auditorium, now the Duane Smith Auditorium, for over a quarter of a century, from the year the auditorium opened in 1951 to 1975 when they both retired. In addition to The Olions, the Ramseys also provided support, expertise and students to other performing arts groups in Los Alamos such as Los Alamos Little Theater and Los Alamos Light Opera.
The Ramseys played a profound role in shaping the lives of thousands of students who participated in the performing arts. In front of — and behind — the curtain, the Ramseys helped students find and develop their potential as they acted in and produced plays, musicals, and the storied Topper Revue. Many former students also remember Ross Ramsey for his captivating classes in English and speed reading.
A number of students went on to successful careers in the performing arts. All students were presented with the opportunity to learn how to build self-esteem, perform, manage, collaborate, and succeed in whatever they pursued. Alumni in all walks-of-life identify the time they spent on and around the stage as a period that shaped who they are today.
The goal of this project is to complement and add to the honor bestowed on Duane Smith when the auditorium was named after him in 1994. Naming the stage after the Ramseys memorializes two people who influenced the lives of so many students. The Ramsey Stage honors the legacy of the Ramseys in creating the Olions. The organization continues to provide a path for students to grow creatively and carry forward for future generations the tradition of theatrical excellence begun by the Ramseys.