Peterborough Players

PETERBOROUGH PLAYERS GRAND RESTART CONCLUDES WITH U.S. PREMIERE PLAY, WHERE YOU ARE

8/20/2021

Peterborough, NH – The Peterborough Players will round out its three-show Grand Restart with the U.S. Premiere of Where You Are, a new play written by Canadian playwright Kristen Da Silva. Directed by Tom Frey and performed on the new outdoor Elsewhere Stage at the Players, the “dramedy” will run from September 1-12 at 4:30pm.

“The first time I read Where You Are, I laughed a lot,” says Frey. “The second time, I was deeply touched. The third time I was proud of these four people for making some really good choices, especially in the light of all they’d been through.”

Sisters Glenda and Suzanne live a peaceful retirement selling homemade jam on Manitoulin Island. This summer, their usual concerns – trying to orchestrate sightings of their handsome veterinarian neighbor and preparing for the visit of Suzanne’s grown daughter, Beth, are complicated by a secret the sisters can no longer contain. When Beth arrives with secrets of her own, the three women have to face things that will change their lives and relationships forever. Where You Are makes you think and laugh about families, forgiveness, and falling in love. The Players is thrilled to give audiences the opportunity to see this fabulous play for the first time in the United States.

The cast is made up of Players’ favorites, led by Lisa Bostnar (A Doll’s House, Part 2 at the Players, Mr. Pim Passes By at the Mint Theatre) and Kathy Manfre (Morning’s at Seven at the Players, Trick or Treat at 59E59) as Glenda and Suzanne. They are joined by Manfre’s real-life daughter, Katelyn Manfre, (Steel Magnolias at the Players, founding member of Pipeline Theatre Company) as daughter Beth, and Pedro Ka‘awaloa (Our Town at the Players, National Tour of The King and I) as their neighbor, Patrick.

Playwright Kristen Da Silva is also an actor, and lives near Toronto, Ontario. Her writing credits include Book Club,Gibson & Sons, Five Alarm, and Sugar Road. Among other accolades, she is the playwright-in-residence at Theatre Orangeville in Ontario. The play comes to the Players through a close relationship with Marquis Entertainment in Toronto, the organization behind the hit play, 2 Pianos 4 Hands.

As with all productions in the Players Grand Restart, 20 Pay-What-You-Can tickets will be available to every performance through Players Gives. Players Gives aims to lower the barriers to access for shows at the Players. The Players gratefully invites anyone who feels they need assistance in accessing shows to partake of Pay-What-You-Can tickets. They must be reserved ahead of time by calling our box office at 603-924-7585.

Tickets for Where You Are are available online at www.peterboroughplayers.org or by calling the box office at (603) 924-7585. Tickets are $47. Shows run Wednesday – Sunday at 4:30pm.

PETERBOROUGH PLAYERS INAUGURATE NEW OUTDOOR STAGE WITH BEEHIVE: THE 60’S MUSICAL

8/12/2021

Peterborough, NH – The sounds, sights, and moves of the powerhouse female vocalists of the 1960’s will bring the Players’ new outdoor Elsewhere Stage roaring to life in Beehive: The 60’s Musical!

Beehive: The 60's Musical is a journey of humor and heart that celebrates the female voices of the 1960s, from Shirley Ellis (“The Name Game”) through Janis Joplin (“Me and Bobby McGee”) with many, many hits in between. Told from the perspective of six young women who come of age in the 60's, the show is underpinned by the social upheaval and radical change of that decade. Six amazing female performers sing and dance their way through a playlist of some of the best music of the 60's, backed by a rocking band.

The show features hits from the likes of The Shirelles, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, The Supremes, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin and many, many more. While this is the party people need right now, Beehive is also more relevant than ever as the women find their way and find themselves.

The Players introduces audiences to a new director and choreographer for Beehive, Ilyse Robbins. Ilyse is an award-winning director and choreographer who is also the Associate Artistic Director of Greater Boston Stage Company. She is the first woman to ever direct the hit show Million Dollar Quartet; her work has been seen at New Rep Theatre, SpeakEasy Stage Company, Lyric Stage of Boston and many others.

She is joined by a stellar cast of actors, with Players’ favorites Claire D. Kolheim (Little Shop of Horrors at the Players, The Color Purple at Playhouse on the Square) singing Aretha Franklin, Katie Shults (A Doll’s House, Part 2 at the Players, Wicked City Blues at the Actors’ Temple Off-Broadway) singing Lulu, and Bridget Beirne (Always…Patsy Cline at the Players, Beehive: The 60’s Musical at the Cape Playhouse and Maltz Jupiter Theatre) as Janis Joplin and others. They are joined by new company members Sarah Julia Ambrose (Legally Blonde with Arizona Broadway Theatre) singing Lesley Gore, Hallie D. Chapman (Beehive: The 60’s Musical at Broadway Palm) singing Tina Turner, and Andrea Fleming (Motown Tribute Shadows of the 60s) singing Diana Ross. All of the women sing hits from multiple different famous artists.

“Players Gives” Pay-What-You-Can Tickets
In 2019, the Players began “Players Gives” outreach programs which aim to lower barriers to opportunity and access to the arts, show gratitude, and give back to this wonderful community through Pay-What-You-Can tickets and the Community Partners program. This year, the Players is thrilled to announce the expansion of Pay-What-You-Can, offering 20 Pay-What-You-Can Tickets to every performance of each show in the Summer 2021 Grand Restart Lineup, including Beehive: The 60’s Musical. The Players invites anyone who needs assistance accessing tickets to attend, with a guest, for whatever they feel they can pay. Tickets must be reserved ahead of time through the box office by calling (603) 924-7585.

Beehive: The 60’s Musical will be performed outdoors on the new Elsewhere Stage on the grounds of the Players. Performances are Wednesday-Sunday, August 18th-29th. Curtain time for all performances is 4:30pm.

Tickets for Beehive: The 60’s Musical and Where You Are are on sale now and can be purchased by calling our box office at (603) 924-7585 or by visiting our website, www.peterboroughplayers.org. All tickets are $47.

PETERBOROUGH PLAYERS PRESENT OUR TOWN, DOWNTOWN, IN OUR TOWN WITH GORDON CLAPP

7/12/2021

Peterborough, NH – “We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars . . . everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings.” Peterborough Players returns to the stage with these words from the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Our Town, by Thornton Wilder.

In a first for the 88-year-old professional theatre, this production will be performed onsite, outdoors in downtown Peterborough. “Our Town, downtown, in our town. We’re the only professional theatre in the world that can do this play, in this way, in this place. It’s exciting,” says Director Tom Frey, who also serves as Associate Artistic Director of the Players. Our Town will run from August 4th – 15th.

An exploration of the profound experience of everyday life, Our Town looks through the eyes of the citizens of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, in their growing up, loving, living, and dying. Two families, Gibbs and Webb, journey through their lives as told by a character known only as the Stage Manager. Considered by some to be the greatest American play ever written, the play asks its audience to examine the bigger questions and unexpected graces of daily living. Frey notes that the Players “…knew we needed to not only honor what we’ve been through but find a way to celebrate the joy of coming together again.”

The ownership of this Pulitzer Prize-winning American play is strongly felt by the residents of Peterborough, NH (long rumored to be the inspiration for Grover’s Corners, whether confirmed or not…). In addition, the Players has a long and intimate connection to Our Town: since their first production in 1940, on which Thornton Wilder himself consulted, it has become the Players’ most produced play to date.

The production boasts a cast of notable actors, both new additions to the Players’ acting company and longtime company members. Emmy-winner (NYPD Blue) and Players' favorite Gordon Clapp appears as the Stage Manager. Tony nominated for Glengarry Glen Ross, Mr. Clapp’s distinguished career most recently saw him in HBO’s Mare of Easttown. Players’ audiences will remember him for his turn as Robert Frost in Robert Frost: This Verse Business, and others. He will be joined by Carbonell Award winner Tracey Conyer Lee (Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill at Portland Stage Company) as Mrs. Webb; Aliah Whitmore (Artistic Director of Whitmore Eclectic, Mahida’s Extra Key to Heaven at the Players) as Mrs. Gibbs; Erick Pinnick (The Tin Pan Alley Rag at Roundabout Theatre Company) as Dr. Gibbs; Steven Michael Walters (Friday Night Lights, Born Yesterday at the Players) as Mr. Webb; K.P. Powell (creator of Quips and Wit for American Shakespeare Center) as George Gibbs; and Kate Kenney (Romeo and Juliet with Shakespeare and Company) as Emily Webb. Players’ favorites Kraig Swartz (Fully Committed and many more at the Players) and Bridget Beirne (Outside Mullingar and others at the Players) appear as Simon Stimson and Mrs. Soames, respectively.

“Players Gives” Pay-What-You-Can Tickets
In 2019, the Players began “Players Gives” outreach programs which aim to lower barriers to opportunity and access to the arts, show gratitude, and give back to this wonderful community through Pay-What-You-Can tickets and the Community Partners program. This year, the Players is thrilled to announce the expansion of Pay-What-You-Can, offering 20 Pay-What-You-Can Tickets to every performance of each show in the Summer 2021 Grand Restart Lineup, including Our Town. The Players invites anyone who needs assistance accessing tickets to attend, with a guest, for whatever they feel they can pay. Tickets must be reserved ahead of time through the box office by calling (603) 924-7585.

Our Town will be performed outdoors in downtown Peterborough. The entrance to the space is off Phoenix Mill Lane in Peterborough, NH. For those familiar with Peterborough, the show will be on what’s known as R.J. Finlay Green (70 Main Street Green), behind the Monadnock Center for History & Culture and the Town House. Performances are Wednesday-Sunday, August 4th-15th. Curtain time for all performances is 5:30pm.

Single tickets for all shows in the Peterborough Players Summer 2021 Grand Restart Lineup will go on sale July 16th. At that time, tickets can be purchased by calling our box office at (603) 924-7585, or by visiting our website, www.peterboroughplayers.org. All tickets are $47.

PETERBOROUGH PLAYERS ANNOUNCES GRAND RESTART LINEUP FOR SUMMER 2021

5/10/2021

Peterborough, NH – In a long-anticipated announcement, the Peterborough Players is thrilled to share the lineup for their Summer 2021 Grand Restart. Three fabulous shows presented in bold, fresh, and safe ways: a perennial classic with an intimate connection to the Players, a high-energy musical with heart and relevance, and a U.S. Premiere play.

“After a year spent asking big questions of ourselves and confronting a global pandemic with lasting impact on the performing arts, we knew we had to come back in a meaningful way,” says Associate Artistic Director Tom Frey, “We knew we needed to not only honor what we’ve been through but find a way to celebrate the joy of coming together again.”

The lineup will begin with a play of great importance to the Players: Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. “There was only one play the Peterborough Players could return with, after all the world has been through,” says Frey. An exploration of the profound experience of everyday life, Our Town looks through the eyes of the citizens of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire, in their growing up, loving, living, and dying. The ownership of this Pulitzer Prize-winning American play is strongly felt by the residents of Peterborough, NH (long rumored to be the inspiration for Grover’s Corners, whether confirmed or not…). In addition, the Players has a long and intimate connection to Our Town: since their first production in 1940, on which Thornton Wilder himself consulted, it has become the Players’ most produced play to date.
In a Players’ first, this production will be performed onsite, outdoors in downtown Peterborough. “Our Town, downtown, in our town. We’re the only professional theatre in the world that could do this play, in this way, in this place. It’s exciting,” says Frey. Our Town will run from August 4th – 15th.

The Players will return to the grounds of Stearns Farm for Beehive: The 60s Musical, running from August 18th-29th, and performed open-air on the new, outdoor Elsewhere Stage at the Players. According to Frey, “An incredibly generous donor has made it possible for us to not only build an outdoor stage, but also renovate our rehearsal hall, to which the stage will be connected. I’ve had the pleasure of working on Beehive twice in the past. It will be great to christen the Elsewhere Stage with this production.”

Beehive: The 60s Musical is a journey of humor and heart that celebrates the female voices of the 1960s, from Shirley Ellis (“The Name Game”) through Janis Joplin (“Me and Bobby McGee”) with many, many hits in between. Told from the perspective of six young women who come of age in the 60s, the show is underpinned by the social upheaval and radical change of that decade. Six powerhouse performers sing and dance their way through a playlist of some of the best music of the 60s, backed by a rocking band. Featuring hits from the likes of The Shirelles, Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, The Supremes, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin and more. While this is the party everyone needs right now, Beehive is also more relevant than ever.

The Grand Restart will conclude with the U.S. Premiere of a new Canadian play, Where You Are, by Kristen Da Silva, also performed on the Elsewhere Stage from September 1st-12th. Where You Are follows sisters Glenda and Suzanne as they live a peaceful retirement, selling homemade jam on Manitoulin Island. This summer, their usual concerns – trying to orchestrate sightings of their handsome veterinarian neighbor and preparing for the visit of Suzanne’s grown daughter, Beth, are complicated by a secret the sisters can no longer contain. When Beth arrives with secrets of her own, the three women have to face things that will change their lives and relationships forever. “Kristen’s lovely play is an opportunity for us to reflect on how our most important choices affect those closest to us, as well as to laugh about our families and the divine goofiness of falling in love. We’re thrilled to be able to bring this U.S. Premiere to our audiences.”

While typical Players’ subscriptions and Barn Door Passes won’t be sold this summer, the Players has a special ticket package to celebrate their return. The Curtain Up! Pass is on sale now. Those who’d like to purchase one can do so by visiting their website, www.peterboroughplayers.org, or by calling our box office at (603) 924-7585 Monday through Friday, between 10am-4pm.

LONGTIME PETERBOROUGH PLAYERS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PASSING TORCH

12/18/2020

Peterborough, NH – With hearts full of gratitude for 25 years of incredible art, vision, and friendship, the Peterborough Players announces much-loved Artistic Director Gus Kaikkonen will be passing the torch in 2021.

Gus began his tenure as Artistic Director of the Players in 1996. Under his creative leadership, the Players has grown, thrived, and raised its admired profile in the theatrical community.  He has enriched and challenged Players’ audiences by programming a wide range of works from all areas of the theatrical canon.  He’s expanded the number of offerings in the summer season – including a big book musical, introduced a winter season, developed a nationally recognized Second Company, and created indelible work, the likes of which prompted Wall Street Journal critic Terry Teachout to call the Players “American summer repertory theater at its most accomplished.”

Kaikkonen has grown the Players repertory company giving legions of artists a theatrical home, encouraged professionals to reach impressive artistic heights, inspired countless careers, mentored hundreds of young people, given many their first professional opportunities (which propelled them on to fruitful careers), and built strong, longstanding relationships with audiences – especially in the Monadnock Region.  All of this while creating brilliant performances, designs, and direction of his own in numerous seasons.

Over the course of his time at the Players, he has staged more than 85 plays. His Peterborough productions of The Cherry Orchard, You Can’t Take It With You, About Time, Inherit the Wind, Heartbreak House, Freud’s Last Session, Measure for Measure, Auld Lang Syne, Outside Mullingar, and many others have all won New Hampshire Theatre Awards for Best Professional Production.

Widely respected and admired in the industry, Kaikkonen’s career includes noteworthy work as a director, actor, playwright, and educator, in addition to his long relationship with the Players. Kaikkonen made his Broadway acting debut in the original cast of Equus. His film, television, and theatre experiences include Tommy Tune’s Cloud 9, The Country Girl with Hal Holbrook, PBS’s Paul’s Case with Eric Roberts, as well as performances at the Long Wharf, Folger, Goodman, Asolo, GeVa, Arden, American Heartland, Aspen, and BoarsHead Theatres, and the Coconut Grove Playhouse and others.

As a director his work has been seen in New York and across the country; his Off-Broadway production of Hindle Wakes was nominated for the 2018 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revival.

Off Broadway work also includes productions of Antigone (Wall Street Journal Best of 2006) for the Phoenix Theatre Ensemble; Arms and the Man, The Gentleman Dancing Master and Heartbreak House at the Pearl; Macbeth with Stephen McHattie, Candida with Laurie Kennedy at Playhouse 91, Richard III with Austin Pendleton at Riverside Shakespeare; the New York premieres of Harley Granville-Barker’s The Voysey Inheritance, The Charity That Began At Home, Farewell to the Theatre, and The Madras House; and Susan Sandler’s Under the Bed at HB Playwrights Theatre. At the Mint Theatre he directed his own new translations of two plays by Jules Romains, Donogoo and Dr. Knock, and at Manhattan’s United Solo Festival he directed Andy Dolan’s Robert Frost: This Verse Business, starring Gordon Clapp, which was selected the Best Production. In the regions, he has directed at Ford’s Theatre, the Asolo, the Philadelphia Theatre Company, Goodspeed, and the Coconut Grove Playhouse.

His writing awards include two grants from the New York State Arts Council as well as the Michigan Arts Council, the Lecomte du Nouys Playwriting Award, and Thurber and MacDowell Fellowships. The American Theatre Critics Association selected his play Time Steps as one of the ten best plays to open in regions. He has worked as a visiting artist at Juilliard, NYU, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, University of Houston, Hofstra, Ohio State, Michigan State University, and Connecticut College.

While celebrating Kaikkonen’s leadership, the Players Board of Trustees is very pleased to announce that current Associate Artistic Director Tom Frey will become Artistic Director in 2021. Gus is thrilled to be passing the torch to a longtime company member and friend “Tom Frey is the real thing: a genuine artist with a love of theatre and an understanding of the value and meaning of a theatre company.  I know the Players is in good hands, and it’s joyous to have Tom becoming the Players next Artistic Director.”

The Players is currently imagining and planning the possibilities for re-starting live theatre, safely, in 2021. The theatre will celebrate Kaikkonen’s career while looking forward to welcoming Tom Frey’s artistic vision for the future.

REGISTER NOW FOR PETERBOROUGH PLAYERS’ FINAL PLAYGROUP OF THE SEASON

11/24/2020

Peterborough, NH – Peterborough Players wraps up its first season of new, popular interactive theatrical workshops, Playgroup, online on December 4th and 11th at 7:30pm EST. The two-session workshop will introduce Players’ audiences to playwright, actor, NHIA graduate, and 2020-2021 member of American Theatre Group’s PlayLab writers group for BIPOC and LBTGQIA+ voices, Tracey Conyer Lee.

Alongside an acting career spanning 27 years and including performances across the country on stage as well as in film and television, Tracey Conyer Lee has explored and developed a unique and powerful voice as a playwright. Her work has been commissioned, developed, workshopped, and / or produced by institutions like the National Black Theatre, Ally Theatre Company, and Congo Square’s August Wilson New Play Initiative, among many others. As a student in the MFA Program at NHIA, her studies brought her to Peterborough where she honed her voice. She is the author of Retreat, Rabbit Summer, Standing Up: Bathroom Talk & Other Stuff We Learn from Dad, and others.

She embraces the idea of “The Inspired Multihyphenate”, saying “There is a book called Steal Like an Artist, and I do just that. I steal from the truth to create fiction. My truth includes finding funny where you didn't know it lived. We will explore how my plays about gun violence, addiction, mass incarceration, racism and this pandemic, for example, should be directed as comedies, although no one would read them as such. I use my life without getting stuck in the (undramatic) details; my work is inspired by my surroundings, my dreams for the world, and the work of my favorite artists.”

Moderated by Associate Artistic Director Tom Frey, Session 1 on December 4th will be a presentation, discussion, and exploration of Lee’s process and ideas. Session 2 on December 11th will feature Lee and a theatrical colleague discussing excerpts from her work, and the many layers within it, in a rehearsal-type setting. Participants will be able to submit questions to the artists via chat during each session, and will have the opportunity to be on screen with the participants during a Q&A portion, if they’d like.

Sessions are free, but registration is required, and space is limited. Those who would like to participate in this special event must email info@peterboroughplayers.org with the subject line Playgroup - Lee. A reservation confirmation email will be received shortly after, and a second email with log-on instructions for the online sessions will follow a few days prior to the event.

For more of the Players’ digital offerings, visit their website, peterboroughplayers.org, and look for Players Online, follow their social media channels, and be sure to sign up for eblasts.

REGISTER NOW FOR PETERBOROUGH PLAYERS NEXT INTERACTIVE THEATRICAL WORKSHOP

11/6/2020

Peterborough, NH – Peterborough Players pulls back the curtain on Shakespeare in the next offering of their interactive theatrical workshop series, Playgroup. The two-session workshop will occur online on November 13th and 20th at 7:30pm EST.

It's an open secret that there are many different versions of Shakespeare's plays, but there is one considered the "definitive version" - the First Folio, complied by Shakespeare's acting company as they performed it at the time, after the death of the Bard.

Players Artistic Director, MacDowell Fellow, actor, and playwright Gus Kaikkonen will lead attendees through the difference between acting and directing this definitive version as opposed to the myriad others published throughout time. Moderated by Associate Artistic Director Tom Frey, Session 1 on November 13th will be a presentation, discussion, and work on this idea. Session 2 on November 20th will feature Players' favorites Lisa Bostnar and Kathy Manfre performing a scene from Shakespeare’s canon in a rehearsal-type setting with direction, thoughts, and adjustment from Kaikkonen. Participants will be able to submit questions to the artists via chat during each session, and will have the opportunity to be on screen with the participants during a Q&A potion, if they’d like.

The series will conclude with playwright, actor, NHIA graduate, and 2020-2021 member of American Theatre Group’s PlayLab writers group for BIPOC and LBTGQIA+ voices, Tracey Conyer Lee on Playwriting on December 4th and 11th. All sessions start at 7:30pm and will last approximately one hour.

Sessions are free, but registration is required, and space is limited. Those who would like to participate in these special events can email info@peterboroughplayers.org and indicate in the subject line which workshops they’d like to see. (For example: Playgroup – Kaikkonen and Lee, Playgroup – Kaikkonen) A reservation confirmation email will be received shortly after, and a second email with log-on instructions for the online sessions will follow a few days prior to the event in question.

For more of the Players’ digital offerings, visit their website, peterboroughplayers.org, and look for Players Online, follow their social media channels, and be sure to sign up for eblasts.

REGISTER NOW FOR PETERBOROUGH PLAYERS INTERACTIVE THEATRICAL WORKSHOPS

10/12/2020

Peterborough, NH – While onstage offerings are on hiatus, the Peterborough Players has been keeping connected with their treasured patrons and community through entertaining, engaging, and original digital programming under their Players Online umbrella.

On October 23rd and 30th the Players will host the first in a new three-workshop series called Playgroup. For patrons and artists alike, Playgroup provides an opportunity to learn, interact, and discover the elements that comprise the theatre they love. Three theatrical subject matter experts will share their knowledge and experience in two-session workshops. Admission is FREE, but registration is required.

The series will begin by welcoming Peterborough Players and Pioneer Theatre Company Former Artistic Director, MacDowell Fellow, and playwright Charles Morey. Morey will present on The Mechanics of Comedy, with a spotlight on his hysterical farce The Ladies Man, produced at the Players in 2016. Moderated by Associate Artistic Director Tom Frey, Session 1 on October 23 will be an overview and discussion of the ins, outs, and “rules” of comedy. Session 2 on October 30 will be a deeper dive into comedy, featuring Frey and Players favorite Kraig Swartz performing brief scenes, including excerpts from The Ladies Man, with thoughts, input, and adjustment from Morey. Participants will be able to submit questions to the artists via chat during each session.

“Playgroup will give people the chance to experience what it actually takes to do what we do, beyond what they see on stage. This is an opportunity to invite patrons to an ‘open rehearsal’ of sorts, and really show them what goes into making theatre – how do we create comedy? How do we workshop a play? How do we interpret great works? We’re excited to bring this unique experience to our audiences, online,” says Frey.

The series will continue with Players Artistic Director, MacDowell Fellow, actor, and playwright Gus Kaikkonen presenting on Shakespeare on November 13th and 20th , and playwright, actor, NHIA graduate, and 2020-2021 member of American Theatre Group’s PlayLab writers group for BIPOC and LBTGQIA+ voices, Tracey Conyer Lee on Playwriting on December 4th and 11th. All sessions start at 7:30pm and will last approximately one hour.

Space is limited for each session, and registration is required. Those who would like to participate in these special events can email info@peterboroughplayers.org and indicate in the subject line which workshops they’d like to see. (For example: Playgroup – Morey, Playgroup – Kaikkonen and Lee, Playgroup – All) A reservation confirmation email will be received shortly after, and a second email with log-on instructions for the online sessions will follow a few days prior to the event in question.

For more of the Players’ digital offerings, visit their website, peterboroughplayers.org, and look for Players Online, follow their social media channels, and be sure to sign up for eblasts.

PETERBOROUGH PLAYERS INVITES COMMUNITY TO ONLINE AUCTION AND VIRTUAL GALA

9/29/2020

Peterborough, NH – With an eye towards the future, the Peterborough Players cordially invites all to bid, do good, and party with a dazzling online auction, sprint for fundraising champions, and a Virtual Gala! Free and open to all, online events will run from mid-October to early November to raise critical operating funds for the 87-year-old theatre.

Join the Players Online Auction October 11-25th. Over 95 items in all price ranges means that auction participants can support the Players in lots of ways! A host of new items join some Players’ specialties, you can claim the winning bid on a luxurious one-week stay in charming Dinan, France; gorgeous artwork from Peter Milton, Maria (Mia) Mead, Sue Callihan and others; ticket packages for the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Symphony Orchestra; must-have services like lawn care, tree service, dry cleaning, floral design, and family portraits; specialty dinners and catering packages; cooking and baking classes; and unique Players’ experiences like backstage tours and the opportunity to “snuff the famous candles“ before a show in the barn when we return.

And there’s more good reasons to join us! It’s FREE to register, and everyone who registers will be automatically entered to win one of two, $250 gift cards to Depot Square. No bids or purchases are necessary to win these gift cards. The Players Online Auction will be available through 32 Auctions at https://www.32auctions.com/PeterboroughPlayers20. You can also connect through the Players’ website, www.peterboroughplayers.org.

After our Online Auction, the Players will be conducting a one-week fundraising sprint, looking for Players Champions! Members of the Players will be reaching out to their networks to see who’s ready to be a champion for the Players and help us prepare for our robust return. This Players Champion “sprint” will be occurring from October 26-November 2.

These celebrations in support of the Players will come to a close with an entertaining Virtual Gala, streaming online on November 7th. Hosted by familiar Players faces Bridget Beirne, Kraig Swartz, and Associate Artistic Director Tom Frey, this variety show-style party will include performances from Players favorites, appearances from community members, and lots of fun. The evening will benefit the Players’ Second Company Fund a Future program, which creates the next generation of theatrical professionals. Viewers will have the opportunity to donate online or over the phone during the party. An online “cocktail half-hour” will begin at 7pm, the gala will start at 7:30pm EST. This special one-night-only online event is absolutely FREE to view and will be available on the Players’ website and Facebook page.

The Online Auction & Virtual Gala are generously sponsored by Producer level sponsor Sequoya Technologies as well as Director level sponsors Runyon Law Offices, PLLC and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. The Players is grateful for their support!

Watch the Players website, eblasts, and social media channels for updates! If you’d like to receive eblast updates from the Players, sign up can be found on the homepage of the Players’ website.

PETERBOROUGH PLAYERS SHARES BACKSTAGE (FROM HOME) PARTY

6/5/2020

PETERBOROUGH, NH — June 17th would have been opening night of the Peterborough Players 87th year, and the 25th season of the leadership team of Artistic Director Gus Kaikkonen and Managing Director Keith Stevens. The season celebration would have kicked off with Last Call: Bernstein and von Karajan at the Sacher Hotel by Peter Danish - an exploration of a true-life meeting between music giants Leonard Bernstein and Herbert von Karajan.

However, just because Players actors and audiences can't gather for opening night this year doesn't mean that there won’t be a party!

The Players Backstage (from Home) Party will be a little like if a zoom cocktail party and a talkback had a baby. The Players will gather a group of some of your favorite actors, designers, and more (via zoom from home, of course!) to celebrate and answer your Players' questions, pre-submitted by patrons. While this party won't be streaming live, it’s sure to be lively!

How can you join in the fun? Lots of ways! If you’ve got a question, you can submit it to the Players via our Facebook page or by responding to one of our eblasts through June 9th. If you're not the Players e-mailing list, you can sign up on the homepage of the website, www.peterboroughplayers.org. You can also send us an email at media@peterboroughplayers.org.

Then, tune in to the Players’ Facebook page, YouTube channel, or website any time after June 17th at 7:30pm EST to watch the video and see if your question gets answered! You’ll also be able to chat along with the “Fauxpening Night” fun between 7:30-8:30pm EST on June 17th on our Facebook or Instagram pages.

Put on some snazzy duds (you can send the Players a snap on social, if you'd like!) and raise a glass to toast what would have been your Peterborough Players Summer 2020 Opening Night! Be sure to visit the Players website and social media channels to get information, including the recipe for the cocktail of the night and more.

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