What’s old is new again for Town Hall Players

CORNWALL — Local theater at its best will be off to a strong start this month with the revival of the Town Hall Players and their production of Jeff Baron’s “Visiting Mr. Green.” Revival of the Players also heralds a revival of the Town Hall stage and theater space, a nod to the original vision for the building when it was built in 1908.

The charming stone edifice on Pine Street, across from the Green, cost a mere $25,000 to build at the turn of the last century. It was built to hold the town’s library (in the room that is now the selectmen’s office) and to serve as a town theater space (where the auditorium is now). 

The building was a gift from John E. Calhoun in memory of his father and brother, and although the years have seen changes in uses, the legacy of theatrical productions has remained part of its tapestry.  

Community members have put on plays from time to time. Sketchy historical records show that the 1930s and 1940s saw occasional productions, but it was in 2002 that the Town Hall Players formed to mount a production of Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town.” 

Over the next 10 years, the group achieved nonprofit status and continued with occasional shows. In that time, the town contributed a new stage curtain. Then came a seven-year period of rest.

This year, in March, the theater rebounded by offering a hugely popular Open Mic night and supper.

And now, 20 residents are working to continue the revival with a new play that brings a contemporary dramatic theme of changing cultures. In “Visiting Mr. Green,” two male characters (one young and the other old) reluctantly engage in a series of visits. Each is wrestling with personal secrets appropriate to their ages and the times in which they are living or have lived. Each visit serves to expose the variety and flow of life’s disappointments, some wrong decisions, and bitter outcomes, but also each man helps the other toward coming to grips with the past and gaining perspective in the present. 

The young man is acted by high school student Dean Saccardi who brings youthful intensity to the role. The older character is portrayed by Fred Thaler who was a respected and beloved member of the original Town Hall Players ensemble. 

It is a serious play, well-interpreted by director and Cornwall resident Dominique Lasseur, who is himself a noted documentary filmmaker. His long list of credits includes works shown on PBS and other notable media outlets.

Performance dates are Friday and Saturday, Sept. 21 and 22, at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 23, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 each and must be purchased in advance.

Following the current production, the Town Hall Players are planning a staged reading to be announced and offered in November.