By Andrew Gorosko

To mark its 75th anniversary, or diamond jubilee, Town Players, a local volunteer community theater group, staged “Cabaret 1935” on the evening of Saturday, April 24, in the Alexandria Room at Edmond Town Hall.

The fundraising gala provided a program of song, dance, and comedy routines which were popular during the 1930’s. Bob Lasprogato’s Uptown Jazz, a piano-bass-drums trio, provided music.

“Seventy-five years is a long time for a business to keep its doors open, let alone a community theater that relies solely on volunteers,” Pam Meister, chairman of the theater’s board, said in a statement on the festivities.

Except for several years during World War II, the group has produced entertainment programs since 1935.

The Cabaret 1935 program included about 20 separate performances by the Town Players.       

Webster Bank, which also is celebrating its 75th anniversary, sponsored the program.

Theater critic Julie Stern, who has reviewed Town Players’ shows for the past 20 years, said that the theater group produces a broad range of entertainment for the community, including performances focusing on broad comedy, clever wit, straight drama, Shakespearean plays, and the Renaissance era.

The organization, which is based at The Little Theatre on Orchard Hill Road, has become more adventurous and more ambitious in its productions over the years, Mrs Stern said this week.

The theater group has many longtime members and also welcomes newcomers to the organization, Mrs Stern said.

Mrs Stern noted that the Town Players has improved the facilities at its Little Theatre, enhancing the seating for its audiences. The organization puts much effort into creating its stage sets and also strives for finely detailed and accurate costuming in its productions, she said.

The theater group has a good production season scheduled starting in May, Mrs Stern noted.