The Stonington Players – Where Everyone is a Star

Our area is a goldmine and one doesn’t have to dig deep into our culture to discover some great treasures. The treasure being introduced to our readers today is a group called the Stonington Players.

The Stonington Players was created under the direction of Louise Wimpfheimer in 1965 and holds as its mission, as stated on their website: “The Stonington Players exists for the enrichment and support of the community through participation in the performing arts.” Mrs. Wimpfheimer was also their first producer and director, as well as one of its actors.

Born in 1923, Louise had been a model and participated in New York Theatre. As a prominent Stonington citizen, she also supported the Stonington Community Center (COMO). Ms. Aldrich: “There were very few cultural things going on in southeastern Connecticut at the time. There were many sailors in town, and when you couldn’t sail anymore during the winter, they needed something to do.” So Louise stepped up and helped provide this creative outlet for the community.

Over the years, Ms. Aldrich said that the Stonington Players have been able to financially donate to the COMO, their main home base for productions over the years. They have also provided performances at the La Grua Center,  which is also in the borough, and on the Stonington town green with the library’s support. In the past, they’ve received Eugene O’Neil awards too, usually for their set designs.

Initially, because it began in the borough, most of the group’s members came from that part of town. Today the group still consists of locals, but with a wider radius than just the borough.  For many of its earlier years, they had a crew of borough women who would provide cookies and refreshments for the audience. In time, these ladies passed away, so that practice ended, but who knows – maybe this practice will resume at some point in the future? It sounds like a delicious idea.

Ms. Regan Morse, also someone who has been involved in the group for many years, said that they try to provide plays year-round for the community. She remembers a time in the mid to late 1970’s when they had people involved who created “astonishing sets” and there was a “huge theatrical spirit in the area.” As times have changed, so has community theatre and although there aren’t perhaps the numbers of people involved making costumes by hand and creating elaborate sets, there are still enough people involved to create quality performances.

As a small community effort, the Stonington Players welcomes “new blood”, as Mr. Bellet stated, and he emphasized that “This isn’t New York City. We’re not looking for people with degrees, but anyone who is interested in acting,” whether they have experience or not. Interest and passion for the arts seem to be the main criteria, as well as lifting up local talent. Some volunteers have written and directed their own plays and local writers are more than welcome to reach out to the Players to have their work considered for the Stonington Players.

Currently, most of the plays are short, 10 to 15-minute plays, which tend to fit in nicely with the actors’ busy lives. There aren’t pages and pages of lines to memorize and the shorter plays provide the opportunity to do more than one play on their playbill. This offers a variety of entertainment styles for the audiences to enjoy. Their next performances will be held the last weekend of October at the COMO.  These will be evenings of one-act plays. More details will be available as the weekend approaches.

Mr. Bellet: “The thing that makes the Stonington Players unique is that it gives people an opportunity to see local talent at many levels. It is completely a community effort and an opportunity to see and appreciate what our neighbors are doing. The Stonington Players is an opportunity for people who are interested in getting involved in the arts. It’s not difficult to get involved. No high bars. We will take people without acting experience – and we encourage them to try out or submit plays or try their hand as a director.”

With so many talented people in our area, many of whom are still undiscovered, please consider stepping up and getting involved with the Stonington Players either as an or, writer, promoter, set or costume designer…or maybe even a cookie baker.