We want to know what shows you want to see at Community Players!
We will begin deciding shortly on the shows for our 97th Season, & we want your input on which shows we should select!
Please take a few minutes to complete our survey to let us know which shows you would like to see! Included in this post is a brief synopsis of each show in case you’re unfamiliar with any shows that are listed.
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE 2019/2020 SEASON SURVEY
Contact [email protected] with any questions.
Synopsis of Survey Shows
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike – A comedy written by Christopher Durang. The story revolves around the relationships of three middle-aged single siblings, two of whom live together, and takes place during a visit by the third, Masha, who supports them. They discuss their lives and loves, argue, and Masha threatens to sell the house. Some of the show’s elements were derived from works of Anton Chekhov, including several character names, the play’s setting in a cherry orchard, and the theme of the possible loss of an ancestral home.
Our Town – A drama written by Thorton Wilder. The 1938 meta-theatrical three-act play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover’s Corners between 1901 and 1913 through the everyday lives of its citizens. The setting of the play is in the actual theatre where it is being performed. The main character is the stage manager of the theatre who directly addresses the audience, brings in guest lecturers, fields questions from the audience, and fills in playing some of the roles. The play is performed without a set on a mostly bare stage. With a few exceptions, the actors mime actions without the use of props.
A Raisin in the Sun – A drama written by Lorraine Hansberry. The story tells of a black family’s experiences in the Washington Park Subdivision of Chicago’s Woodlawn neighborhood as they attempt to “better” themselves with an insurance payout following the death of the father.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? – A drama written by Edward Albee. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive an unwitting younger couple, Nick and Honey, as guests, and draw them into their bitter and frustrated relationship.
God of Carnage – A dark comedy written by Yasmina Reza. It is about two sets of parents, one of whose child has hurt the other at a public park. They agree to meet to discuss the matter in a civilized manner. However, as the evening goes on, the parents become increasingly childish, resulting in the evening devolving into chaos.
Almost, Maine – A romantic comedy by John Cariani. The play is comprised of nine short plays that explore love and loss in a remote, mythical almost-town called Almost, Maine.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – A drama written by Tennessee Williams. Set in the “plantation home in the Mississippi Delta” of Big Daddy Pollitt, a wealthy cotton tycoon, the play examines the relationships among members of Big Daddy’s family, primarily between his son Brick and Maggie the “Cat”, Brick’s wife. The play features motifs such as social mores, greed, superficiality, mendacity, decay, sexual desire, repression and death.
Barefoot in the Park – A comedy written by Neil Simon. A story about Corie and Paul Bratter who are a newlywed couple. For their first home, they live in an apartment on the top floor of a brownstone in New York City. During the course of four days, the couple learns to live together while facing the usual daily ups-and-downs. Corrie wants Paul to become more easy-going: for example, to run “barefoot in the park.”
Sense and Sensibility – A literary classic adaptation based on the novel by Jane Austen. The story follows the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Dashwood sisters after their father’s sudden death leaves them financially destitute and socially vulnerable. Set in gossipy late 18th-century England, full of humor, emotional depth, and bold theatricality. The play examines our reactions, both reasonable and ridiculous, to societal pressures. When reputation is everything, how do you follow your heart?
Crimes of the Heart – A dark comedy written by Beth Henley. the story of the three sisters who reunite at Old Granddaddy’s home in Hazlehurst, Mississippi, after Babe shoots her abusive husband. Past resentments bubble to the surface as the sisters are forced to deal with assorted relatives and past relationships while coping with Babe’s latest incident. Each sister is forced to face the consequences of the “crimes of the heart” she has committed.
Fences – A drama written by August Wilson. Set in the 1960’s Fences tells the story of Troy Maxson, an African-American garbage collector and ex-convict who once had a promising future in baseball. His circumstances as a youth led him to prison, after which he settled down with Rose and made a family.
House of Blue Leaves – A dark comedy written by John Guare. A zookeeper named Artie longs to write songs for the movies as his AWOL son and the Pope arrive in New York City. Three nuns end up in his apartment, and a political bombing mistakenly occurs there.
Big Fish – is a musical based on Daniel Wallace’s 1998 novel, and the 2003 film Big Fish directed by Tim Burton. The story revolves around the relationship between Edward Bloom, a travelling salesman, and his adult son Will, who looks for what is behind his father’s tall stories.
Chicago – is a musical about nightclub sensation Velma murders her philandering husband, and Chicago’s slickest lawyer, Billy Flynn, is set to defend her. But when Roxie Hart also winds up in prison, Billy takes on her case as well — turning her into a media circus of headlines. Neither woman will be outdone in their fight against each other and the public for fame and celebrity.
Jesus Christ Superstar – is a rock opera loosely based on the Gospels’ accounts of the last week of Jesus’s life, beginning with the preparation for the arrival of Jesus and his disciples in Jerusalem and ending with the crucifixion. It depicts political and interpersonal struggles between Judas Iscariot and Jesus that are not present in the Bible.
Thoroughly Modern Millie – is a musical spoof of the roaring ’20s, where feisty young flapper Millie plans to find a job and marry a wealthy employer. Though fond of penniless paper-clip salesman Jimmy, she’s determined to marry well-heeled company man Trevor Graydon, who loves Millie’s roommate, Dorothy. As all four try to find love, an evil landlady schemes to sell the orphaned Dorothy into white slavery.
Spring Awakening – is a rock musical set in late-19th-century Germany, which tells the story of teenagers discovering the inner and outer tumult of teenage sexuality.
Mama Mia – is a jukebox musical comprised of songs by ABBA telling the story 20-year-old Sophie preparing to marry her fiancé, Sky. She wants her father to walk her down the aisle but doesn’t know who he is. Sophie discovers her mother’s old diary and finds entries which describe intimate dates with three men. Sophie believes one of these men is her father and, three months before her nuptials, sends each an invitation to her wedding, writing in her mother’s name, Donna, without letting her unsuspecting mother know.
The Color Purple – is a musical based on the 1982 novel by Alice Walker which follows the journey of Celie, an African-American woman in the Southern United States in the 1930s addressing numerous issues including her exceedingly low position in American social culture.
Cabaret – is a musical Set in 1931 Berlin as the Nazis are rising to power. It focuses on the nightlife at the seedy Kit Kat Klub and revolves around young American writer Cliff Bradshaw and his relationship with English cabaret performer Sally Bowles. The club serves as a metaphor for ominous political developments in late Weimar Germany.
Ragtime – is a musical that introduces the American experience at the turn of the 20th century through the eyes of three different facets of society, in the New York City area: African Americans, represented by Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Harlem musician; upper-class suburbanites represented by Mother, the matriarch of a white upper-class family in New Rochelle, New York; and Eastern European immigrants, represented by Tateh, a Jewish immigrant from Latvia.
Annie – is a musical about an orphan living in a facility run by the evil Miss Hannigan. A rich man named Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks decides to let an orphan to live at his home to promote his image. Annie is selected. Warbucks announces a search and reward for Annie’s parents because she believes she was orphaned by mistake. This brings out many frauds, including the brother of Miss Hannigan.
Young Frankenstein – is a musical based on the Mel Brooks comedy of the same name. It is a parody of the horror film genre, especially the 1931 Universal Pictures adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and its 1939 sequel, Son of Frankenstein.
The Wiz – is a super soul musical that is a joyous modern retelling of L. Frank Baum’s classic children’s story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in the context of reflecting contemporary African-American culture. After Dorothy gets swept up in a tornado, she finds herself in the fantastical world of Oz. There, she makes new friends, battles evil witches, and seeks the aid of the all-powerful and mysterious Wiz. Ultimately, Dorothy finds that, if you believe with all your heart, you can always find your way home.