Our Mission
Perennial Players offers opportunities for community members, aged 40 and over, to remain physically, mentally, and socially active through participation in theatre. Perennial Players serves as an entry point into theatrical performance for people who have never participated in theatre before, a re-entry point for those who may have been away from theatre for many years, and a place for veteran performers to continue to enjoy performing. Using workshops, short and long play, and reader's theatre, Perennial Players will bring performances to the Playhouse stage, as well as to senior centers, senior living, and social groups.
Reader's Theatre
Our reader's theatre groups provide access to theatre for people of all abilities. There is no need to memorize, as we read from the scripts. Because reader's theatre is usually done seated or standing, with minimal to no movement, it is accessible to people with mobility challenges, as well as people who no longer feel they're able to memorize significant amounts of text.
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Our reader's theatre groups meets on Tuesdays at 10:00am at the Hampshire Senior Living Center, and again on Wednesdays at 11:00am at the Merced Senior Center. Both sessions are open to the public an anyone age 40 and older are welcome to attend!
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Our reader's theatre groups are open to perform for any occasion. If you have a group that would like some entertainment at a meeting or event, we would love to perform for you!
Luncheon Theatre
On Stage Soon
Performances: November 9, 10, 15, and 16
This fall, we will be returning to the Playhouse stage for our One Acts. "Who Shot Fred" is a 10 minute comedy perfect for those that want to delve into memorizing lines with parts for 3 women and 1 man. "The Day They Kidnapped Blanche" is a longer play, about 30 minutes, for those who want to take on larger parts. This has parts for 3 men and 4 women. Our radio play this year will be "Mr. F's Radio Spritz Show," where we invite the audience to become our sound effects! No memorizing needed, with roles for 11 actors.
Performances: TBD
We are planning on brining this well-loved classic to the Playhouse stage in time for Mother's Day! Stay tuned for audition notices!
We are looking to create an opportunity for actors to participate in creating a luncheon theatre. We will partner with local restaurants to bring a theatre production to their venue. Actors should be available to rehearse and perform during the day. More information will be forthcoming as we develop this program.
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Interested in participating? Contact Sandra Hay!
Our History
2023-24 Season
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Holiday One Acts--In November, we put on three humorous and heartwarming shows. We were excited to welcome some new faces to the stage. Marc Medefind wrote and directed the truly heartwarming story, "The Christmas Chuppa," which was presented as a radio play. G.B. Blackmon III directed the short and hilarious "Regift," as well as the humorous and touching "An Old Fashioned Christmas."
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Romeo and Juliet--We partnered with Merced Shakespearefest to give a new twist on an old classic! In our version, the loving couple were not teenagers, but senior citizens finding love again after loss. Their adult children have other plans for them, of course, and the forbidden romance leads to the inevitable tragic conclusion. Our production was directed by Heike Hambley and was very well received by our audiences, who enjoyed seeing an older couple struggle with the difficulties of finding romance when the world seems to be against them.