Sherman Players celebrate a century of community theater

For a century, the Sherman Players have turned a former 19th-century church into a stage where neighbors become castmates, volunteers power productions and community is the main attraction. The company marks its 100th season with a lineup that blends classic works, new writing and homegrown talent.

New England has a long history of community theater and its role in strengthening civic life. The Sherman Players remain a vital example, mounting intimate, noncommercial productions that draw on local participation and speak to the current cultural moment.

Sherman Players President Missy Alexander is an enthusiastic champion of the group’s history and collaborative spirit, which engages amateurs and professionals alike “to see what fun we can have” in bringing theater to all audiences. Everyone pitches in — from sets and costumes to administrative work — to bring each production to life. She calls it the “extra special sparkle” that has defined the company since its first performances in their historic church home in 1926.

The season opens in April with Neil Simon’s “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” a comedy set in the 1950s television writers’ room during the McCarthy era. In June, the company will present a production (with live music) of the classic Broadway musical “Bye, Bye Birdie!” one of the first shows that highlighted the Baby Boomer generation and our “Kids are King” culture.

In July, The Sherman Players will debut “Restored to Reason,” a new work by local writer Elizabeth Young about Mary Todd Lincoln. Developed through the theater’s Cold Lemonade reading series, the work marks the first time the company has taken a piece from staged reading to full production, a memorable milestone in the group’s historic mission.

September brings a timely revival of the historic American courtroom drama, “Inherit the Wind.” The Sherman Players last presented this riveting account of the infamous Scopes “monkey trial” in 1966. The season concludes with a special holiday presentation of “An American Christmas Carol,” an original adaptation of the Dickens classic, written by Artistic Director Robin Frome, directed by Jane Farnol.

Alexander is quick to acknowledge that The Sherman Players is committed to supporting the broader regional arts community. “We’re closer than you think, and we all draw on the same talents and resources,” she said. “We all see and support each other’s work.”

This dedication is helping to enrich the theater-going experience for everyone, from long-established generational Sherman Players patrons to new, younger audiences looking for community connection.

The Sherman Playhouse is located at 5 Route 39 N, Sherman, Connecticut. For tickets, subscriptions and more information, visit shermanplayers.org.