ORANGEVILLE — The Mighty Richland Players Dessert Theater (MRPDT) in Orangeville have announced its 2021 20th Anniversary season. The plan is to perform three shows, including a world premiere.
Award-winning playwright, Phil Olsen, has chosen Mighty Richland Players Dessert Theater as one of the theaters to world-premiere his newest play. The comedy, “The Birthday Club,” has already won awards in theatrical competitions, and the theater is excited to bring it to the stage. The play introduces the audience to Cheryl and her four friends who gather together in her living room every time each of them has a birthday. All in different places in their lives, they share the ups and downs, joys and failures, and the craziness of life’s journey. It’s been viewed as a great reminder of how much, underneath it all, we still need each other.
Performance dates for The Birthday Club are April 16-18 and April 23-25.
“Blithe Spirit” will be performed in the fall of 2021. COVID-19 shut-downs occurred the week the show was to open last year and the theater is finally bringing the Noel Coward show to the stage. This is a technically difficult show to produce and three hours long with two intermissions, one regular length and one short. The original MRPDT cast from last spring will all be returning. The show centers around a skeptical novelist, Charles Condomine, who invites self-proclaimed medium, Madame Arcati, to his home for a séance. Hoping to gather material for a new book, his he dismayed when the hapless psychic accidentally summons the spirit of his late wife, Elvira. His home and life are quickly turned into a shambles as his wife’s ghost torments both himself and his new bride, Ruth.
Performance dates are Sept. 24-26 and Oct. 1-3.
“The Little Red Schoolhouse” is back for its third sequel. Depicting one-room schoolhouse Christmas memories, this show will bring back familiar characters along with some new ones.
Performance dates are Nov. 27-28 and Dec. 3-5.
Reservations are required, and tickets can be reserved by credit card by calling (815) 819-1310. The current social distancing and cleaning regulations will be observed for all performances. Doors open a half hour before the show begins, and a dessert is included in the ticket price and will be served during intermission. All shows this year will run two weekends and start at 7 p.m.
The theater is located in a historic building at 203 West High Street, Orangeville, IL. More information on the theater, rental of the building for weddings and other events, and their season, can be found by visiting mightyrichlandplayers.org.
