When the pandemic closed the curtain on its 2020 production, a local theater troupe could have faded away. Now the County Community Players are back with their fullest schedule in years.
Founded in 1989 as the Presque Isle Community Players, the group recently changed its name to better reflect its participants, who come from all over Aroostook County and even neighboring New Brunswick.
This year the group marks its 35th anniversary with a rebirth of sorts. Founders wanted to see newer, younger people step up to lead, but interest lapsed during the pandemic. It took three years, but last fall several determined members resurrected the ensemble because they believe local theater gives too much to the community to let it die.
“They say that theater is a window to the world,” said Meg Hegemann, the group’s new president. “It builds empathy. It builds community. It gives people an opportunity to take risks.”
The Players launched when other local community theater efforts had ceased. Founding members included Dan and Barb Ladner, Margaret Coffin, Julie Daly, Barbara Dempsey, Rick Landen, Cissy Libby, Jeanette Perry, Glenna Smith and Sylvia Weinberg. Their first production was 1989’s “A Celebration of Irving Berlin,” a musical revue, Hegemann said.
Decades later, the group had lost a lot of members and its founders were getting older, so gaining new leadership was crucial, she said.
Joining Hegemann to lead the reorganized ensemble are Jessica Cameron, vice president; Yvette Stephens, treasurer; Travis Burnham, secretary; and board members Allen Morrill, Danica Haskell and Annelise Wardwell.
The Players presented “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” in September, their first performance since the pandemic. A murder mystery dinner theater followed in October and “It’s a Wonderful Life” in December. Those productions got people interested again, Hegemann said.
Following the December show, the group honored longtime members Tamia Glidden, Brian Lamont and Claudia Stephens, who lent their expertise and support as the Players reorganized, she said.
There will be more murder mysteries, which have actually brought the actors back to where they began: the first musical revues were held at the hotel.
The mystery dinners are the brainchild of Ignite Presque Isle CEO LeRae Kinney, Hegemann said. Ignite PI and the Players split the proceeds from the fundraising performances, which have been fun for both the performers and the audience.
They’ve also drawn new members, which makes Hegemann and other leaders happy.
The group knew it needed to change to keep up with the times, Treasurer Yvette Stephens said.
“That’s what the name change was about. We needed to be more inclusive,” Stephens said.
The troupe also wants to expand its membership to include more young people, including trying out edgier, more youthful productions along with community favorites, she said.
Stephens has been with the group for several years, and remembers when COVID dashed their 2020 plans for “The Robber Bridegroom.” Everyone was crushed, she said. They received a grant of about $5,000 to help recoup their costs, but membership dwindled.
Now, the group’s energy is high and she’s excited about the future. Part of that comes from Hegemann’s leadership and the fact that she has arranged a yearlong schedule, Stephens said.
In the past, the group would put on about two productions per year, planning one at a time, she said. Having an entire year set up helps members prepare, and also makes it easier to obtain licenses, costumes and venues ahead of time.
Cameron is one of the newest members. She was inspired to join the group when she saw its 2019 production of “Almost, Maine,” a play written by Presque Isle native John Cariani.
“The behind-the-scenes [stuff] is kind of where I gained an interest,” she said. “I was interested in sound technology, but I wound up being stage manager for ‘Spelling Bee’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’”
She hopes the rejuvenated theater group will draw both audiences and new members. Theater gives people an outlet and an opportunity to get involved in something, she said. Besides performers, there’s always a need for people to work behind the scenes.
The County Community Players have four shows and more murder mystery dinners slated this year.
“Murder at Mardis Gras” will take place on March 8 and 9 at the Northeastland. The next full-length performance will be “Steel Magnolias” in April at the university auditorium.
They plan more fundraisers and are also introducing season tickets and children’s prices. For information visit the County Community Players on Facebook.
The group is gaining traction once again with its wider focus and new audiences. That’s good for the whole community, because live theater provides actors with an artistic outlet, while also giving the audience a shared social experience, Hegemann said.
“It is so fun to watch [actors] just blossom in confidence,” she said. “In live theater, you get to see all the emotion. We don’t have these communal experiences much anymore, which is what theater is all about — experiencing that in real life with other people.”
