ACT Players Theater Company

Listen to sweet love songs while you sip your favorite wine or finish off those last few chocolate covered strawberries. ACT's Valentine's Cabaret is available now! CLICK HERE : https://youtu.be/XMjom7ik_No ACT Players is a nonprofit organization that relies on your donations to continue shining a light on community theater. Please consider making a donation at ACTPlayers.org.

A pop cabaret is coming to a screen near you this weekend! Tune in Sunday at 7pm while some of ACT's best sing their favorite love songs!

Did you know that one of the most legendary rock bands of all time, Lynyrd Skynyrd, got their name from their high school P.E teacher and basketball coach? Mr. Leonard Skinner was known for his strict enforcement on male students having long hair. Lead guitarist and founding member, Gary Rossington even dropped out after being harassed about his lengthy locks. The band named themselves Lynyrd Skynyrd as a mocking tribute to their old gym teacher from Robert E. Lee high school. Despite their rivalry before the band took off, they eventually made amends. Mr. Skinner even introduced the band at a concert in the Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum. He also allowed the band to use a photo of his Leonard Skinner Realty sign for the inside of their third album. Photo Credit: Rolling Stone Magazine

DID YOU KNOW that February 3, 1959 is often referred to as the day the music died? Don McLean used the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper in a tragic plane crash as the basis for his blockbuster song, American Pie. We all know the words, but how many people understand the meaning behind some of the lyrics? It is widely speculated that Bob Dylan is the Jester based on the James Dean coat he wore on one of his album covers and his near fatal motorcy...cle accident which left him on the sidelines in a cast. That the King is a nod to Elvis Presley, and that when the Jester stole his thorny crown, it was a metaphorical reference to Elvis passing his cultural icon royalty status of the 50s over to Dylan’s counter-cultural icon royalty status of the 60s. That the halftime air of sweet perfume meant marijuana, and the sergeants who played a marching tune were the Beatles. It is also believed that Satan as acknowledged in the song is a reference to Mick Jagger who wore a flowing red devil’s cape on stage during a Rolling Stones concert where a member of the Hell’s Angels motorcycle gang who had been hired as security guards stabbed and beat to death a black concert-goer. The Hell’s Angel was acquitted of the murder; hence... the courtroom was adjourned; no verdict was returned. Stay tuned for more rock and roll trivia in the months ahead, and mark your calendars now for the last two weekends in September when ACT Players finally returns LIVE to the stage in our premiere event: ROCK N ROLL REVIVAL! Details to follow at: actplayers.org

Before we load up on candy this weekend, we're introducing another special board member! Meet Bobby! Bobby Hamilton has been a member of the ACT board for almost 3 years and has been involved with ACT productions for the better part of the previous 7 years! When not on stage, Bobby works as a Media Specialist for Flywheel Digital, managing online marketing on platforms like Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart. He currently lives in North East, Maryland, with his lovely girlfriend and their cat Binx. During his free time Bobby enjoys playing golf, watching sports, and playing video games with his friends.

Coming soon to a YouTube channel near you, ACT Players is proud to bring you our second vintage radio broadcast completely written, voiced, and recorded by our very own ACTors. When better to air a deeply creepy and deliciously disturbing show than on Halloween Eve? You won’t want to miss this eerie tale of the worst kind of birthday party imaginable in a neighborhood where everything is not quite as perfect as it seems. Mark your calendars, subscribe to our YouTube channel, visit our Facebook page or our website on 10/30/2020 to be transported to the darkness. We’ll be waiting for you...

If you saw Shakespeare in the Vineyard over the weekend, you have already seen this guy in action! Everyone say hello to Board Member of the Week, Paul! Paul Hammer has been serving on the ACT Players board for a little over a year now. He has been doing productions since middle school but joined ACT as an ensemble member in Grease.Professionally Paul graduated from Penn State University in spring of 2019 with a degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in engineering leadership development. Outside of work Paul enjoys fishing, hiking, learning how to play the guitar, and working on new impressions.

Our first live show since January has come and gone, but it's one we will not forget! This year has certainly pushed us out of our comfort zone which brought many "firsts" to ACT! Our first time taking on Shakespeare, our first time utilizing an outdoor venue... Who knows what will come next!

Only one more chance to see the show! A great cast, a great script and a beautiful venue! My first ACT Players performance (Saturday)! - really enjoyed it and plan to come to more!!! BRAVO - Temre Stanchfield https://fb.me/e/eSOZdURsf

Let's give a round of applause for our Shakespeare in the Vineyard cast! These men are taking on our first live production since JANUARY! 8 whole months of virtual performances are behind us. We can't wait to see you this weekend! Tickets available here: http://actplayers.org/upcoming-events **Click each photo to learn more about our cast!**

Shakespeare is coming to a vineyard near you! Click here to see our latest email blast. Subscribe to the mailing list so you never miss upcoming events! - https://mailchi.mp/5176d4051a57/actplayers2019-1320738

Shakespeare mash-up with an all-male cast playing male and female roles. Sound like fun? Come check us out!

Have you purchased your tickets for Shakespeare in the Vineyard this weekend? As our Publicity Chair, it's Mary's job to remind you! Keep reading to learn more about her as this weeks Board Member of the Week! Mary White joined the ACT family in 2015 when she unexpectedly became Dolly's personal hair stylist for "Hello, Dolly!" just days before opening and has been part of almost every production since! She has done everything from hair and makeup to choreographing and actin...g to stage managing and producing ACT productions. By day, Mary is a legal assistant/ title clerk and by night she is a mom to her semi-sweet cat, Binx, who was seen briefly on stage during ACT's production of "Fiddler on the Roof" which also happens to be the show where she met her wonderful theater loving boyfriend. In her free time, Mary enjoys mini-golf, yoga, spending time with her ten nieces and nephews (not all at the same time), and doing puzzles. She is grateful for the relationships she has made through this organization and looks forward to seeing what the future has in store! See more

This special board member just got MARRIED on Saturday! Let's keep her in the spotlight just a little bit longer. Our Board Member of the Week is Mrs. Aubrey Hanrahan (Weaver)! Aubrey has been a member of the ACT Players Board of Directors for just about two years now. She has been involved in ACT from the age of 8 and couldn’t feel luckier to play such a big part in a non-profit organization that she cares so much about. She’s currently studying Professional Photography at Cecil College in North East, Maryland. She has a three year old daughter named Maya and has married her best friend that she met through this organization. She feels incredibly grateful to everyone that has made this opportunity so fun and meaningful. She can’t wait to see what the future for ACT holds.