About Us
OUR MISSION STATEMENT:
Bay City Players is a volunteer-based community theatre dedicated to providing high quality theatrical experiences for the entertainment, education, and enrichment of the community.
OUR HISTORY:
The Bay City Players, Michigan's oldest community theatre group, debuted on March 19, 1917, performing as the Bay City Art Club. During World War I, this hardy band of actors performed in members' homes as part of the Thursday Morning Musicale and continued in the twenties as a merged group, the Musicale-Art Club. By 1929, it was renamed the Bay City Theatre Guild. Then in 1931, it received the name it uses today, the Bay City Players.
The impetus for organizing these early theatrical performances came from Mrs. J.D. (Emily) Grinnell, who is credited with being the founder. During its first thirty-seven years, the Players performed in a variety of places, including private homes, local opera houses, schools, church halls, and movie theatres. They purchased the Pines Theater movie house in 1955, added to the tiny stage, and began performing in their permanent home. Since that time, there have been a number of renovations and additions which have resulted in an orchestra pit, dressing rooms, several storage areas for props, costumes, scenery, and furniture, a rehearsal room, an office, a spacious lobby, and other amenities.
A number of theatrical offering are availabe through the Bay City Players' various programs. The "main stage" season consists of five productions which include one, or sometimes two, musicals. Extra shows may be added for special purposes, such as benefits. There are two youth program, Youtheatre and Stages of Discovery. Youtheatre runs from March through June with workshop sessions culminating in a series of one-act plays directed by older high school students. Stages of Discovery was begun in 1996 with the cooperation of the Bay City Public Schools and provides learning and performing opportunities for Bay County youth.
Fully staged productions of plays, musicals and operettas are presented twice a year either at the Bay City Players or at one of the Bay City Public Schools. Stages performers have also provided programs for community events such as the Tall Ships Festival and Chamber of Commerce functions. In addition to providing special performing opportunities for youth, the Players also has a senior readers' theatre, the Recyclables. They provide programs in a variety of venues throughout Bay County and the surrounding area.
The Bay City Players is well-known throughout Michigan for its involvement in state and national community theatre activities. They have hosted several conventions of the Community Theatre Association of Michigan (CTAM), two within the last four years, and have hosted a play festival as part of the festival cycle of the American Associates of Community Theatre (AACT). They have participated in several of these festivals, often winning awards, including a first-place award for a production of A Midsummer Night's Dream performed by the Stages of Discovery youth. This award gave the privilege of representing Michigan at a multi-state festival. Articles about Players activities have often appeared in state and national newsletters and, every year, some members attend state and national community theatre events. Several Players members have received awards from CTAM for outstanding contributions to community theatre in Michigan.
The Players are also active members of the Theatre Alliance of Michigan (TAM), frequently hosting meetings of that group. The Players have participated in International Theatre Olympiads, hosting performers from Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands. Bay City Players also plays a strong role in the community as an arts leader, participating in activities with the Chamber of Commerce, Studio 23, the Arts Council, and other local groups. Since 1917, this dynamic theatre group has contributed in many ways to the quality of life in Bay City.