Player's History

HISTORY OF THE SUFFIELD PLAYERS

The Suffield Players, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit community theatre  company founded in 1952, now housed in historic Mapleton Hall in  Suffield, CT.  Having organized over 150 productions, we are committed  to bringing quality theatre to our audience.  With a troupe of over 125  members, each season the company produces three main-stage productions, a  holiday benefit, the New Faces program which gives aspiring actors and  techies a chance to shine, and three free staged readings with Kent  Memorial Library.  In addition, The Suffield Players host a summer youth  theatre camp and production through CT Imagination Station.  They also  award annual scholarships, participate in community events, and provide  educational opportunities in all aspects of theatre.  The Suffield  Players work to a standard that is amateur in name only.

In 1952, a group of Suffieldians gathered to begin a new theatrical  group.  The officers were Phillip H. Graham as president, Mrs. Louis E.  Spencer as vice President, Mrs. Marshall Seeley as secretary, and Mrs.  E. W. Broder as treasurer.  Their first production was Dear Ruth followed by You Can't Take it With You.   Prior to moving to their current home, the Players mounted productions  at Spaulding Elementary School, Suffield High School, Suffield Academy,  Suffield VFW Hall, and staged readings in multiple locations.  The group  has been in constant production.

The Players originally did two shows a year, one in the fall and one in  the spring until 1977 when a winter show was added with Picnic and it  became an annual tradition in 1983 with Tartuffe.  There are now three main-stage shows annually.  The holiday benefit began in 2005 with A Dickens Christmas Carol: A Traveling Travesty in Two Tumultuous Acts, focused on raising funds to help with the ongoing building renovations and maintenance.

New Faces began in 2012 as a way to encourage new actors and  actresses to join our troupe.  Featuring talent who have never been on  the Mapleton stage or who have had only a minor role, the program is  educational in nature.  The program expanded in 2015 to involve new  directors, playwrights, and techies to provide even more opportunity for  the community to dip their toes in the magic of theatre!

The Players have earned multiple awards over the years, through  ACT/CONN, Connecticut Drama Festival, and the Massachusetts Critics  Circle.