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The Other Acting Troupe: Merely Players, Inc.

9/01/08

News 4U Magazine
by Ashley Sollars

Merely Players: Producing Great Plays & Musicals Simply!

One of the greatest treats a child in the Eighties could receive was a "Choose Your Own Adventure"* book. I'd scour book fairs for an unread CYOA; a golden treasure at the bottom of the bargain book pile, but my efforts were seldom rewarded.

If you are unfamiliar with CYOA books, they are interactive young readers' books that allow an infinite number of plot combinations. Perhaps not infinite, but they would keep a youngster engaged for much longer than a copy of "Little Women." The CYOA series would even start each book with: "Beware and Warning! You and YOU ALONE are in charge of what happens in this story. There are dangers, choices, adventures and consequences."

Reading these stories was fun, but apparently, reading was only the novice level of CYOA. Merely Players of Owensboro, KY, has taken the notion of allowing the audience to decide the fate of the characters to the next level. Audience members will now be allowed to determine their own theatrical experience. This could get interesting…

Merely Players is performing a CYOA play called "Adventures in Mating," a play written by Joseph Scrimshaw and directed by Elizabeth Drake-Boyt, PhD. An uninteresting, nerdy young man [played by Kevin Roach] is set to meet a crazy cat lady [Rachel Simmons] on a blind date at a gourmet restaurant. Narrated by a snobby waiter [Alan Velotta], the couple sets out on a stream of escapades and adventures as directed by you, the audience! There are over 60 different plots that could be executed, so in theory you could see this show at every performance and it would probably be completely unlike the play you saw any previous night.

If you have never heard of Merely Players, you need to brush up on your local theatrical incandescence because this edgy acting troupe doesn't rely on bright lights and backdrops to pull off a breathtaking show. Created in 2005, Merely Players is an award-winning, not-for-profit corporation that is still getting its feet wet. "We are dedicated to creating a member-driven theatrical community of artists of all backgrounds, ethnicities, ages and abilities to provide cultural enrichment through exposure of contemporary community theatre to new audiences."

With simplified lighting and sets and a majority of plays being edgy, dark and taboo by contemporary playwrights, Merely Players isn't likely to produce an overplayed "Death of a Salesman" or "A Christmas Carol." You are much more likely to be thrust into the deep whirlwind of emotional issues of the 21st century like: domestic violence, revenge and sexual orientation – with the occasional lighthearted romantic comedy.

Interested in becoming part of the new acting troupe that performs across the tri-state, participates in theatre competitions, and, according to lead actress Rachel Simmons, "is a group of adults that get along so well that it is scary"? Visit www.merelyplayers.org, for more information, or call (270) 315-2413. Merely Players is seeking actors, stagehands, writers and even those wanting to direct.

See "Adventures in Mating" September 5 and 6, 2008 at 8 p.m. at Evansville Civic Theatre's Underground at the Annex [Washington Sq. Mall on Green River Road] in Evansville, IN. Tickets are only $10 and are available online and at the door. Visit the website for more info on upcoming shows or to purchase tickets. What's up next for Merely Players? This editor is thinkin' some Rocky Horror…

*Merely Players and "Adventures in Mating" is not associated with "Choose Your Own Adventure" classic children's books. Visit www.cyoa.com for more information or to purchase a CYOA.