Here’s your chance to finally land that starring role.

Lawrence residents have an opportunity to make a significant contribution to the city’s cultural scene by supporting a plan to build a greatly enhanced Lawrence Community Theatre.

Plans to construct a 300-seat theater on donated property along West Sixth Street, near Free State High, got off to an excellent start on Wednesday.

Theater leaders announced that they have raised $3.77 million of the necessary $6.2 million to build the facility. The estates of Hortense Oldfather and Mabel Woodyard both donated $1 million. A development group that includes local businessmen Mike Treanor, Doug Compton and Bill Fleming has donated the land, valued at $725,000. Everyone who has donated thus far deserves our applause.

But now it will be up to the rest of the community to provide the necessary funding to make the project a reality.

The benefits could be significant. The new theater will have nearly twice as much seating, will have more than three times the amount of overall space, will be extremely visible to visitors, and — perhaps most importantly — will provide a beautiful new location for a talented city to come together.

The efforts of Theatre Lawrence — the newly chosen name for the theater group — are a great cause, its proposed site is a great location, and its fundraising campaign certainly will be a great challenge.

But it is a fitting challenge for the organization, which began 34 years ago when a small group of theater lovers met at the old Carnegie Library and pooled $500 to stage its first production.

Now, there is a role for all of us to play by searching for ways to support a project that can create a new Lawrence destination and celebrate our community’s creative energy.

As they say in the business: Action!