This Year's Project: Theatre Building Repairs
About Our Organization
Producing 70 events with attendance of more than 7,500, Community Players is one of Nebraska's most active performing arts organizations. Community Players connects our community through opportunities to perform, learn, collaborate, and be entertained. Classic shows, new works, educational programs, and special events inspire our community to be a better place through the arts. Five shows in our regular season of musicals and plays bring together performers from throughout Southeast Nebraska. Three family/youth productions featuring young performers educates the next generation. Several other special live events and collaborations expand the impact of the theatre. The lights never go out at Community Players.
Current Project: Theatre Building Repairs
As Community Players approaches its historic 50th season, we also near the 44th year in our humble building in downtown Beatrice. By producing nine plays and musicals a season, hosting events and classes, and connecting with thousands of patrons, artists, and volunteers every year, our organization remains as strong as ever, but the same cannot be said for our aging building.
Simply put, we cannot continue to call 412 Ella St. our home without major repairs. A recent consultation with a local construction firm, necessitated by ice melt flooding in February, revealed that our exterior walls are shedding stucco and the mortar holding together the brick beneath is quickly deteriorating down to sand. Conservatively speaking, at the very least, our entire west wall (facing BPW) will need to be extensively reinforced or completely replaced. This does not begin to address our persistent basement flooding, decaying front door frame, and various other damages incurred over the past 44 years of producing live theatre year-round in this space.
So what do we do? Frankly, we’re not sure just yet. All we know is that we will keep bringing the finest live entertainment to our community, and we won’t stop providing opportunities for students, patrons of all ages, and artists of all kinds. We also know that whatever we do to move forward won’t be cheap. This is not a place to speculate on how long we can continue to operate in our former auto-body shop, or what currently vacant downtown building we can move into, or what our dream is for a brand-new theatre. Instead, it is a time to ask our supporters, publicly and privately, to help us monetarily prepare for our next steps.
Please consider donating to Community Players today as we work to build funds to repair or replace our home, and keep our community in the spotlight for decades to come.