The GhostLight Theater in Benton Harbor is planning a series of upgrades and long-term expansions aimed at growing its role as a community gathering space.

The Benton Harbor City Commission last month approved a special nonprofit liquor license for the theater, and founder and manager Paul Mow tells us it’ll tie into the venue’s plans.

“We’re still in the infancy stages of figuring out what that entails,” Mow said. “Currently, we offer beer and wine as a non-profit. You get 12 licenses a year, and we have those sporadically throughout the season on Friday and Saturday nights.”

But this will allow for more. With the liquor license, Mow says the GhostLight could become a more general destination.

“We hope to be able to offer a sit-down area where you can come in between your restaurant and the neighborhood and grab another cocktail either before, during, or after the show. We continue to look towards opportunities to expand our space to offer more instances where we’re open outside of our theater hours.”

Throughout the offseason, the GhostLight will renovate its lobby area, expanding space to accommodate more people. Fundraising is underway, including a $100,000 annual goal they’re shooting for now while the theater looks forward to launching a larger, five-year capital campaign to support the expansion into a new property next door later. More will be released on that effort soon.

In the meantime, Mow is preparing for the GhostLight’s June musical, Next to Normal, which he’s directing. He says it’s a beautiful Broadway musical about mental health that will run June 11 through June 28.