Take my word for it - it’s not easy to stage a show. It takes a lot of people, time, effort, dedication and yes, money, to put one together. For that reason it’s not surprising that quite a few community theatre groups have faded away over the years.
I should add that there have probably been quite a few that I’ve never heard of - after all, I arrived in Huntington in 1976, and that’s where my memory starts.
Possibly the biggest group to fade away was the Community Players. I only remember seeing one show of theirs, A Christmas Carol, at the Abbott Theater on Huntington’s west end. The group spent quite a few years putting on shows - and I believe they were revived at least once along the way, but when the Abbott finally closed (and was later torn down), the group apparently disbanded. A few efforts have been made in the years since to revive the group, but for now, the group has apparently left the stage.
Another group that I know about firsthand was the Appalachian Regional Theatre (known as ART, but not to be confused with the ARTS group in the Renaissance Theatre). Organized by Danny Ray, a stage veteran who returned to his home in Huntington, the group put on some outstanding shows, including Brighton Beach Memoirs, The Sound of Music, The Odd Couple, Noises Off and Into the Woods, to name a few. Sadly, the group shut down more than 10 years ago.
And then there's the group headed by Eddie Harbert known as the Renaissance Players, and they've also staged a number of shows in the area, including Nunsense, Baby, Little Shop of Horrors, Closer Than Ever and The Rocky Horror Show. That group has been on hiatus for more than 10 years.
My hat is off to anyone who undertakes the challenge of putting on a local show. It’s a near-impossible job - but it can also be lots of fun and very rewarding!
Tomorrow: More memories of past companies!
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