Bay County Commissioners honor Bay City Players, Inc.
Announcement
During the February 14th Board of Commissioners monthly meeting, the Board Chairman, Thomas Herek, honored the Bay City Players, Inc. for their contributions to Bay County for the past one hundred years.
The organization known as the Bay City Players, Inc.,
founded by Mrs. J.D. Grinnell of Bay City in 1917, is the oldest continuously
operating community theatre in the State of Michigan. Bay City Players has
enhanced its reputation beyond our community as an active member of Community
Theatre Association of Michigan and American Association of Community Theatres.
Bay City Players in believed to be one of the oldest continuously operating community
theatres in the United States services the public for the past one hundred
years.
The Bay City Players invested its future in the Bay County area by
purchasing the former Pines Theatre in 1954, and, up to the present time, has
invested over one and a half million dollars in improving the facility in order
to provide for the comfort and safety of patrons and participants, while
enhancing productions and making this community theatre one of the leading
proponents for arts and culture in the Great Lakes Bay Area.
Over ninety-five percent of actors, directors,
technical crews responsible for lighting, sound, makeup, costuming, and
building scenery, as well as front-of-house operations such as box office,
lobby operations, and ushering are volunteer residents of the Bay County Area.
Bay City Players has continued to enhance its services to the community with
two programs serving area youth (Youtheatre and Stages of Discovery)
accommodating over one hundred and fifty area students yearly and a dynamic
readers’ theatre program (Recyclables) performed by senior citizens taking
their productions into the community free-of-charge.
We residents of Bay County
are indeed fortunate to have so many dedicated artists and workers giving
generously of time and talents in order to enhance the quality of life in Bay
County. Therefore, be it that this Bay County Board of Commissioners and Bay
County Executive write into Bay County’s records hearty congratulations and a
standing ovation for this outstanding community theatre group known as Bay City
Players, Inc. for its contributions to Bay County residents over the past one
hundred years.