Letter To The Editor

Winthrop Playmakers to go on hiatus

Dear Editor,

For 78 seasons, the Winthrop Playmakers have had the privilege of bringing theatre to the Winthrop community, uniting actors, directors, designers, and audiences. When we sold the beloved Playhouse on Hermon Street in 2014, we knew it would be a tough, uphill battle to survive.

With the assistance of some dedicated Playmakers and supporters, we have managed to go on for two more seasons producing shows such as the sold out production of “The Rocky Horror Show” at Cottage Park Yacht Club and the award winning production of “The Shadow Box” at Memorial Hall.

There comes a time, however, when circumstances overwhelm, and you must surrender to the fight you’re facing. And so, it is with many mixed emotions that the board of the Playmakers has decided to impose an indefinite hiatus on the organization. This was not an easy decision to make, and one we did not take lightly. This organization has created lifelong bonds among every person who has ever called themselves a Playmaker. Years of dedication to this organization has created a deep passion for what we call our home theater. The board carefully considered every possible avenue and situation to try to keep the company active, but without a space in Winthrop to perform in and with a dwindling base of support both in the town and in our membership, we realized the best answer may be to put things on pause.

To be clear, we are not shutting down or fully disbanding, we are going on hiatus. When our current production of Reefer Madness: The Musical concludes its run on October 16th, the Playmakers are going into hibernation mode. Our funds will remain in a trust to the organization, and with three officers staying as keepers of the trust, our non-profit status will remain. We are open to and hopeful that a future Playmaker will decide the time is right and the Winthrop Playmakers will produce theatre again.

We hope to see you at our final production for the foreseeable future when “Reefer Madness: The Musical” opens October 7 at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown. Tickets are on sale now on our website, and it would be wonderful to see familiar and friendly faces in the audience, returning to see one last great Winthrop Playmakers production. Thank you all for the many years of support. If you have any questions please contact us at info@winthropplaymakers.com.

—The Board of the

Winthrop Playmakers