ORANGEVILLE - In September 2001, the Mighty Richland Players (MRP) Dinner Theater opened its doors for its opening show, "Escanaba in Da Moonlight," and from Aug. 5 to Aug. 7, the theater will celebrate it's 10th anniversary with a Ten Year Review.
The theater was the idea of Ben Hoyle and John Buford, both of Orangeville, with the concept of the community theater as a way to make an old building in the historic downtown relevant, while integrating its history of serving as the village's public forum with modern-day entertainment.
In 2001, Buford and Hoyle reached out to an improvisational comedy group of young Highland Community College students, who had formed a group, Countless Wasted Hours.
During the first five years of the theater, most shows were written and performed by Countless Wasted Hours.
As time passed, though, MRP proceeded down another avenue, focusing on more regional and older casts and relying more on professional playwrights, rather than home-written material.
Today the building, at 203 W. High St., Orangeville, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is still the home of the Orangeville Masons who constructed the building in 1877.
It seats 68 people at maximum capacity. In addition to Countless Wasted Hours, actors and singers from past shows will perform skits and songs from "Little Red Schoolhouse," "A Year with Frog and Toad," "Radio Gals," "Bosh and Moonshine," "Belle of the Wabash," "The Cheddar Curtain," and "Sarah Bernhardt in Texas."
For Friday, Aug. 5 and Saturday, Aug. 6, doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. and the show to follow.
For the Sunday, Aug. 7 matinee, doors will open at noon, with dinner at 12:30 p.m. and the show to follow.
Tickets are $40. For ticket reservations, call the Monroe Arts Center at (608) 325-5700.
The theater was the idea of Ben Hoyle and John Buford, both of Orangeville, with the concept of the community theater as a way to make an old building in the historic downtown relevant, while integrating its history of serving as the village's public forum with modern-day entertainment.
In 2001, Buford and Hoyle reached out to an improvisational comedy group of young Highland Community College students, who had formed a group, Countless Wasted Hours.
During the first five years of the theater, most shows were written and performed by Countless Wasted Hours.
As time passed, though, MRP proceeded down another avenue, focusing on more regional and older casts and relying more on professional playwrights, rather than home-written material.
Today the building, at 203 W. High St., Orangeville, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is still the home of the Orangeville Masons who constructed the building in 1877.
It seats 68 people at maximum capacity. In addition to Countless Wasted Hours, actors and singers from past shows will perform skits and songs from "Little Red Schoolhouse," "A Year with Frog and Toad," "Radio Gals," "Bosh and Moonshine," "Belle of the Wabash," "The Cheddar Curtain," and "Sarah Bernhardt in Texas."
For Friday, Aug. 5 and Saturday, Aug. 6, doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. and the show to follow.
For the Sunday, Aug. 7 matinee, doors will open at noon, with dinner at 12:30 p.m. and the show to follow.
Tickets are $40. For ticket reservations, call the Monroe Arts Center at (608) 325-5700.
