A little over 20 years ago, The H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center (LPAC) opened in 2005, and since then, it has served as a major asset to the Shippensburg community to see a diverse set of performances. From rock and roll to comedy to puppy stunts, Luhrs continues to keep the performing arts alive.
The building was named after H. Ric Luhrs, who was the member of the SU Foundation, because of his heavy involvement and dedication to the community. He believed in the importance of keeping the arts alive within the community, and the center was a step in the right direction to becoming a remarkable institution. That belief and vision has remained the same throughout two decades: to serve the community.
Luhrs has the capacity to seat 1,500 attendees, which extends their caliber and range of shows they can book compared to other venues.
“We are in this rural environment located on campus and are able to bring in top name performers because of the number of seats that we physically have – that is very unique,” Robin Doblin said, the Director of Luhrs.
According to U.S. News, there are 114 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania and many of those offer stages, auditoriums and theaters, but none are quite like Luhrs. The LPAC elevates the cultural life in Shippensburg, rather than it being just another venue.
“Luhrs is meaningful to the community because it brings art and entertainment,” said James Bicknell, the production manager and technical board director at Luhrs. “Normally people would have to drive to Philly or Pittsburgh to see because of the area we are in.”
Luhrs is easily accessible from the Pennsylvania Turnpike and I-81, extending the opportunity to people in surrounding towns to come see a show.
Bicknell is a trained professional in the theater production industry and expressed that the Luhrs center is set up well.
“This building is extraordinarily easy to work in,” he said. “That’s the number one comment we get from most touring groups.”
He compared past experiences and venues to be more difficult regarding unloading and loading each production set up before showtime.
The LPAC operates with only four full-time employees: Doblin, Bicknell, Administrative Assistant Jill Heberlig and Director of Marketing and Administrative Services Katie Perkowski. Many students at Shippensburg University work at Luhrs part-time and even intern to help advance their careers.
Without Luhrs, not only would the campus culture that has been created at Ship be affected greatly, but the presence of art and exposure to theater would be more limited to the town.
“I feel like especially in these times, we need performing arts, and we need that as a benefit to our mental health and it to be a great experience for people,” Doblin said, “It’s kind of an opportunity for them to escape for a while and experience something very positive.”
To view their upcoming events and for more information, visit their website to stay up to date on the latest shows that they will have.
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