The Show Must Go On

A local community theatre group is preparing for its first show in over a year.

The Courthouse Players aim to provide a source of community and entertainment to Ohio County. With plays and skits performed around the county, the theater has been involved with the Beaver Dam Amphitheater, Centertown Days, Christmas in Beaver Dam and of course hosting their own locally directed live plays.

The group is currently preparing for its upcoming performance of Little Women, an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's two-part novel about the journey of four sisters during the civil war.

The play will host 10 actors. Auditions finished earlier this week and rehearsals will be taking place later in the week. The show does not yet have an official performance date, however, it will be announced closer to show time and following decreased COVID-19 cases.

A play titled Dead to the Last Drop was the last performance held by the Courthouse Players in October of 2019. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the group has been following COVID-19 procedures and has not been able to hold a performance since.

Fifth-year theater President Debbie Boehmann is excited to have the group back on stage and hopes that the theater will be able to continue on soon.

“This is the job I don’t get paid for...that’s how much I love it,” she said.

Boehmann hopes to have the upcoming performance late this year or early 2021. Along with Boehmann, the Courthouse Players includes a board of directors and a multitude of community members that serve as actors for each show.

“We have our usuals who come in and audition, but we also get excited when there are new faces here,” Boehmann said.

Along with prepping for their performances, the group is also looking to raise money for new theater seats and options for individuals to purchase single or multiple seats with dedicated name plaques on each. The group’s first-ever murder mystery dinner theatre was held last year and the group hopes to have a second show next year to raise funds for the new seats. The local theater is open to all community members and all who are interested are encouraged to attend an audition and become a part of the fun. The Courthouse Players are located on the top floor of the old courthouse in Hartford. For more information or to get involved with the Courthouse Players at contact 270-298-4862.