July 23-25,30&31

A Brief History

The Community Playhouse of Lancaster County, Inc. (CPLC) was formed in 1972 by a group of 45 people who met at Christ Episcopal Church to make plans for the new organization. Rev. Fred Walker served as moderator for the organizational meeting where the following officers were elected: Mrs. Ellen Burgess - President, Mrs. Marilyn Maness - Vice-President, Mrs. Elaine Walker - Secretary, Mrs. Joyce Zimmerman - Treasurer. Serving on the Board of Directors were Mrs. Marjorie C McMurray, Mr. Jack Harper, Mr. Dace Jones, Mr. Robert Young, Mrs. Dolores Brown, Mrs. Barbara Khoury, Mr. L. E. (Sonny) Hagins, and Mr. Wally Wachta. The new theatre was organized to give all people, children and adults, an opportunity to participate in a learning experience in theater.

The Playhouse joined the South Eastern Theater Association and the South Carolina Theater Association and is currently a member of the Metrolina Theatre Association. In order to communicate with members, a quarterly newsletter was established. A contest with the membership was held in 1993 to rename the newsletter and The Rosie Spotlight was the name chosen. Also at that time, four students were elected to serve as advisors to the board of directors in order for the board to benefit from the views and opinions of the youth of Lancaster. These students were Phil Emanuel, Thelathia Bames, Rick King, and Andre Smith.

CPLC held its first public performance in December of 1972 when it produced Tom Sawyer, a play adapted by Sara Spencer from the Mark Twain story by the same name. The Lancaster News billed the play as "a play for old and young". It was directed by

Jack Harper, a Lancaster Native, and since that time, CPLC has produced over 85 different plays in the Lancaster community.

The mission of CPLC is:

"to provide the community an avenue to attend and participate

in the theatrical arts through productions and other events (camps, workshops, etc.) that

broaden the views of our community through diverse programming thereby nurturing an

appreciation for the arts and our world."

To help achieve this mission, CPLC continues to offer a variety of shows each season designed to appeal to diverse audiences and offers a variety of membership levels to meet the needs of CPLC supporters. Please refer to a membership application for complete details on membership levels and benefits. CPLC depends not only on the financial support of the community, but also on the volunteer hours donated by members and supporters. To learn more about volunteer opportunities and for additional information on our “community theatre,” visit or website or email us.