Brogan: It's About More Than Show Biz!

On Wednesday evening, September 21, 2022, something extraordinary occurred at the Concord City Auditorium.

The hundreds who poured in for the first Walker Lecture of the season, were treated to the world premiere of a film that had them riveted to the screen and rising to their feet to applaud. The film, The Players. The 95 Year History of the Community Players of Concord, NH was greeted with thunderous approval. When asked her opinion, my mother, who will celebrate her 99th birthday this December enthusiastically said, "It was brilliant. When can I see it again?"

Fortunately for my mother and for those who missed the film, there will be a second opportunity to see what is destined to become a classic. My mom is already picking out what she will wear next week.

On Thursday, October 6th at 7 PM, the documentary will be screened at Concord's downtown movie house, Red River Theatres. This one-time showing is a benefit for the Community Players as they launch their historic 95th Season. Tickets are available at: https://redrivertheatres.org

The film is much more than a story about a community theater group. It is the story of a community and how it grew, evolved, changed and thrived. It is also the story of how a passionate group overcame many odds and continued to reinvent itself with the changing times.

Beginning in 1927, two years before the Great Depression, the Players became a staple for the local entertainment scene even attracting the attention of the legendary screen icon, Bette Davis, who attended a production in the 1940's. For local audiences, the Community Players provided an opportunity for them to see live stage productions of musicals, comedies, dramas and thrillers. In the process, the group nurtured an array of local talent, both on the stage and behind the scenes.

The film affords an opportunity to see, appreciate and hear about some of those talents including former Concord Director of Recreation and Parks, Betty Abbott, Bob Stuart, Harriet Strong, and so many others. Amazingly, most held fulltime jobs during the day while devoting their evening time to working on productions.

I grew-up in a family where the Community Players played an enormous role. My mom worked on-stage and off, while my dad was often a production manager or painted sets. I remember mom saying, regarding her membership in the Players, "When you're a member you don't just show-up when you have a leading role. You take a chorus part, you do make-up, costumes, sell tickets, paint backdrops. You need to leave your ego at the stage door..." As a child I remember watching mom assume the backstage role of "Goat Wrangler" with a real live goat, for the play, Teahouse of the August Moon.

This masterful film is the work of many including longtime Community Player, Jim Webber, who wrote it. Concord TV and their talented staff provided invaluable help with the production and pouring through thousands of photos to help create a seamless production. NH Humanities believed in what was happening to the extent of providing grant funding.

You don't need to love the theater to be mesmerized by this film. It's the story of nearly a century of life in Concord, New Hampshire. It's a story about people who found a niche by bringing magic to our city by the river. The film achieves all of that and more. I know I can't wait to see it again and experience the spell it casts.