ROUNDTOWN PLAYERS NEWS
Fall/Winter 2014
Edited By Jenny Rhoads
Spooky Comedy to Begin 2014-2015 Season
Upcoming Dates
 November 1, Auditions for Chil-
dren’s Show, 9:00-1:00
 November 7-15, “Afraid of the
Written by director, Randi Morgan
Dark”
“Afraid of the Dark”, a play by
James Reach, is billed as “A MysteryFarce in Three Acts”. It might better be
compared to a three ring circus, complete with Queen Elizabeth 1, Mata
Hari, and General Robert E. Julius Caesar Napoleon Ulysses S. Lee.
Our exceptionally talented cast
will be playing this farce up to its absolute broadest limit – so come prepared
to laugh till you cry. The hero and
heroine, looking like they just stepped
off the top of a wedding cake, are being played by favorites, Chad Anderson
and Jenny Rhoads. Justin Atkinson
and Scott Metzler have taken the
Teddy Roosevelt model in “Arsenic and
 December 19-20, Baby It’s Cold
Outside, a Winter Variety Show
Old Lace” to a whole new level and then
doubled it, as General Lee and Admiral
Gridley. There are spies (who better to
play Mata Hari than Tahrea MaynardJohnson?), villains, cops, crazy relatives
galore.
And while there may be a few sly
innuendoes, this is definitely rated PG.
The show runs November 7, 8, 14, & 15
at 8:00 and November 9 at 2:30. To re-
2014-2015 RTP Board
Members
President:
John Rankin
Vice President:
Tahrea Maynard-Johnson
Treasurer:
Tracie Spurlock
Recording Secretary:
Mary Maynard
Corresponding Secretary:
Jenny Rhoads
Historian:
Justin Atkinson
Past President: Barry Boyer
Trustees:
Upcoming Children Auditions!
Box Office:
Susan Perkins
Auditions for Roundtown Players’ Children’s production of
“The (Almost) Totally True Story of Hansel and Gretel” will be
held on November 1, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Roundtown
Players, Memorial Hall. Anyone between the ages of 6 and
18 are welcome to audition. Please prepare a short monologue and prepare to read from the script. All of those who
wish to audition must be able to read.
Costumes/Makeup:
Cathy Steinhauser
Marketing:
Chadwick Anderson
Safety:
Victor Aume
House:
Chris Johnson
There is a perusal script available at the Pickaway County
Library in Circleville. Please direct all questions regarding
this production to director Tahrea Maynard at
[email protected]. The show will run January 9, 10, 11,
16, 17 & 18.
OCTA:
Gary Gillen
Historian’s Report:
How We Began
Written by Justin Atkinson
In the 1960’s, a group of amateur actors gathered
together to hold fundraisers for Berger Hospital. They
called these productions the “High-Fever Follies,” and after
several years of success, many from this group decided to
create an ongoing theater organization for the community.
Calling themselves the Roundtown Players, they
produced William Inge’s “Picnic” in the barn at the
Pickaway Country Club in August of 1967. 11 actors were
found for the roles and 15 people were listed in the program as production staff. The production lasted three performances, with the final being standing room only, according to an article in Pickaway County, Ohio History and
Families 1810-2005 at the Pickaway County Historical Library. With this success, the members decided to formalize
the group and they soon became a not-for-profit community
theater.
The Roundtown Players produced several shows between 1967 and 1970 at the
Pickaway Country Club, the old High School on
South Court Street as well as a production of
Agatha Christie’s “Witness for the Prosecution”
at the Common Pleas Courtroom. Still, they
were searching for a permanent space to grow.
The Teen Canteen had been utilizing
the second floor space at Memorial Hall for
some time, but decided to disband after a lack
of leadership and lowering interest from the
local youth. Originally designed for veteran soldiers to practice drills, with a balcony for the
public to watch, the space already had a stage,
though small, and ample room for seating and
storage. In 1971 the county commissioners
agreed to rent the space to Roundtown Players
for $1 a year.
The members created a tech booth in
the center of the balcony facing the stage,
which is still used, with a lighting system donated by Miriam Ruggles-Adkins. Folding chairs
were used for seating and bathrooms were installed. Some of the first productions included
Noel Coward’s “Blythe Spirit” and Ira Wallach’s
“Absence of a Cello.”
Thanks to the desire of the sixty one original
members to bring theater to Pickaway County,
Roundtown Players has remained active for
Baby It’s Cold Outside: A Winter Variety Show
Have you ever been inside
the theatre in the winter? It tends to
get a little chilly, and that is because
the heating system has been so out
of date, that no one can find the
parts to fix it!
Thanks to the Pickaway
County Commissioner, Memorial Hall
is now getting a heating update. We
are very grateful that we can provide
Page 2
audiences and visitors of the theatre
with a warm building this winter.
In order to help the county pay for
this endeavor, we are having a fundraiser to help raise money to pay for
the heating system.
This December, we will be
hosting a family friendly variety show.
If you are interested in auditioning to
be a part of this special event, please
email [email protected]
for more information.
Show dates will be December 17
and 18 at 8:00 p.m.
Admission is donation only,
suggested donation $5.
Edited By Jenny Rhoads
Celebrate with the Cast of “Afraid of the Dark”
Have you ever wanted to meet the cast after a show
at Roundtown Players?? Well on Friday, November 7th, after
opening night of “Afraid of the Dark,” you will have the opportunity. To kick off our 2014-2015 season, Roundtown Players
has partnered up with The Mitchell House Bed and Breakfast
located at 125 S. Pickaway Street, just behind Memorial Hall
to host an opening night event.
The opening night festivities include a pre-show reception beginning at 7:00 p.m. at the Mitchell House. Guests
will receive a tour of the house, complimentary champagne,
as well as light refreshments. After the show (beginning at
8:00 p.m. at RTP), guests are invited back for a post show
“Meet the Cast” party. There will also be coffee, tea, refreshments, and complimentary champagne available at this
event. The cost to attend this event is $5.00, and it will be
added to the price of your ticket to the show that evening. To
attend the opening night festivities, please reserve your tickets to the show by calling 740-474-5856 and indicate that
you would like to attend the Mitchell House Event. Don’t miss
this unique experience!
The Mitchell House, built in 1875, is owned by Nicole
Mitchell. Nicole has spent countless hours in renovating and
preserving the house to its former glory. The house itself features rooms named after famous Circlevillians, such as Ted
Lewis and Caleb Atwater, as well as several rooms for entertaining. In addition to hosting overnight guests, she also
hosts several events throughout the year such as wine
tastings, bridal showers, and Sunday brunches. For
more information about The Mitchell House, visit their
website at http://www.themitchellhouse.us/
RTP at the Pumpkin
Show!
Roundtown Players won first prize in
the Small Business and Special Class
Float Competition at this
year’s Pumpkin Show. The float, which
depicts the spooky Stone Mansion
from the upcoming production of
“Afraid of the Dark,” carried many
friends and supporters of RTP through
the streets of downtown Circleville.
Special thanks to our RTP Pumpkin
Show committee for all of their hard
work!!
Roundtown Players News
Page 3
Fall/Winter 2014
Our 2014-2015 season:
Rountown Players
P.O. Box 431
Circleville, OH 43113
Phone:
740-474-5856
Email:
[email protected]
Afraid of the Dark (Comedy)
November 7, 8, 9, 14 & 15
The (Almost) Totally True Story of Hansel and Gretel
January 9, 10, 11, 16, 17 & 18
The Seafarer
February 20, 21, 22, 27, 28 & March 1
Good People
April 17, 18, 24, 25, & 26
Where the Shadow Ends
June 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20
Footloose
July 10, 11, 12, 17, 18, 19
OCTA Update
Roundtown Players is a proud member of the Ohio Community Theatre Association, Central Region. The Central
Region serves and supports member community theatres these Ohio counties:
Crawford, Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Knox, Licking, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Pickaway, Pike, Richland, Ross, Scioto, Union & Wyandot.
Our OCTA Theatre representative is Dr. Gary Gillen.
Visit www.ohiocommunitytheatre.org for more information about OCTA!