Albemarle
North Carolina
Add an Article
Add an Event
Edit
The Uwharrie Players
The Uwharrie Players, Inc. has been the community theater organization of Stanly County for thirty years. The Players were formed in the spring of 1975 as an outgrowth of the Stanly County Arts Council. Thirty-four charter members set out to establish a vehicle that would provide local citizens an opportunity to perform on stage and that would expose Stanly County to quality theatrical entertainment.
Curt Little was elected as the Uwharrie Players’ first president. However, a career opportunity required Little to leave Albemarle after serving for only two months. The elected vice-president, Ken Campbell, became president and immediately began preparations for the Uwharrie Players’ first show. On June 12, 1975, the curtain went up on the Players’ production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s OKLAHOMA. Community theater was off and running in Stanly County.
In the thirty years since that June night in 1975, the Uwharrie Players have presented over 80 plays. At least 1,000 people have been involved in these shows, and over 50,000 people have paid to watch them.
For nearly two years, the Uwharrie Players operated without a true business component. In 1977, the Players revised their constitution and by-laws to include an elected board of directors that would handle the business of the organization. Bob Compton was elected by the newly formed board to serve as its first chairperson. The organization was also incorporated at this time and its official title became the Uwharrie Players, Inc.
Two characteristics have always distinguished the Uwharrie Players from most community theater groups. First, the shows that are selected to be presented each season are done so by a vote of the organization’s entire membership. This process was written into the original by-laws and has never been changed. A different process for selecting plays has been discussed from time to time, but has always been voted down by the Players’ membership.
The other distinguishing trait of the Uwharrie Players is that the organization has never had a permanent, paid staff person. Directors and other production staff positions are hired on a one show at a time basis. Organizational administration and fund raising are, and always have been done on a voluntary basis.
Over the years, the Uwharrie Players’ shows have been performed in a number of locations. In the early years, the Albemarle High School auditorium was the site most frequently used. Other locations included Central Elementary School’s auditorium, the North Stanly High School auditorium, Pfeiffer University’s campus theater, and the old Center movie theater. In 1989, Stanly County opened a new Agri-Civic Center with an 1,100 seat auditorium. That facility housed nearly every U.P. production for the next decade. In recent years, for size and financial reasons, some of the Players’ smaller shows have gone back to school auditoriums, and one was even performed in the newly renovated Market Station.
Of the seventy-plus shows presented by the Uwharrie Players, several have earned distinction. Plays that have been presented twice by the Players include: OKLAHOMA, LI"L ABNER, SOUND OF MUSIC, GUYS AND DOLLS, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, DRACULA THE MUSICAL, THE FOREIGNER, and SOUTH PACIFIC. The inspirational rock musical, GODSPELL, holds the honor of being the Uwharrie Players’ most repeated show – four times (1979, 1980, 1985, 2001). FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1977), ANNIE (1987), and GREASE (1998) were the best attended shows in Uwharrie Players’ history. GREASE holds the distinction of being the most financially successful production ever.
In 1988, Gary Moran and Joan Giglio initiated the Uwharrie Players’ first awards banquet. This ceremony recognized the achievements of the Players’ past season and included humorous awards, acting awards, and the selection of the season’s favorite show. The awards banquet was so successful that it has become an annual event for the Uwharrie Players. Each winter, usually around the end of January or the first of February, the Players celebrate their past season with an evening of food, fun, and awards.
The Uwharrie Players suffered two great personal losses in 1989. Sam Holshouser was killed in an accident at the newly opened Agri-Civic Center in July of that year, and Joan Giglio succumbed to cancer in September. Both had been true leaders of the Players since the early years of the organization. Holshouser had performed on stage, served as board chairperson and as president, and had built many of the sets for plays. Giglio also performed on stage, served as secretary, treasurer, and board chairperson, and was known as the ultimate hostess for parties and banquets. Two annual awards are now given at the U.P. awards ceremony in honor of these individuals. The Holshouser Award goes to the person making the greatest back-stage contributions to the past season’s productions. The Giglio Award goes to the past year’s most outstanding board member.
In 1992, primarily through the efforts of Vicki Coggins, the Uwharrie Players obtained official tax-exempt status as a non-profit organization with the I.R.S. This status has greatly assisted the Players in their annual fund raising efforts.
The Uwharrie Players celebrated their twentieth anniversary season in 1994/95. Edna Lipe-Harkey headed up the committee that organized the activities for that special year. Some of the anniversary festivities included: encore presentations of some of the Players’ most popular shows (THE FOREIGNER, OKLAHOMA, and DRACULA THE MUSICAL); a display in the Agri-Civic Center lobby that featured costumes and memorabilia from past shows; a reception for the original cast members of the 1975 production of OKLAHOMA; a special supplement in the Stanly News and Press that covered the Players’ anniversary; and the establishment of a Uwharrie Players Hall of Fame.
The Uwharrie Players Hall of Fame was established to recognize and honor individuals who had contributed outstanding time and effort to the Players over a long period. Each year, a special committee comes up with a list of nominees to be considered for election to the Hall of Fame. To be elected to the Hall, a person must receive 75% of the votes cast by the organization’s membership and contributors. To date, seven people have been elected to the Uwharrie Players Hall of fame. These are Sam Holshouser (1995), Reed Furr (1996), Joan Giglio (1997), Leon Warren (1999), Patti Furr (2000), Martha Chapman (2003), and Edna Lipe-Harkey (2005).
In the fall of 2003, the Uwharrie Players decided to develop a website for listing the organization on the Internet. A committee chaired by Tim Shires and consisting of members Brian Jones, James Cotton, Sid Norvell, Reed Furr, Marty Medlin, and Joanna Flack were responsible for organizing and building this website. Brian Jones presently serves as Web Master for the Players site, which can be found at www.uwharrieplayers.org .
In December of 2004, the Uwharrie Players presented their first "radio show". This event was organized and directed by Rod Almond. With actors reading from scripts before a live, dinner-theater audience, the Players presented the holiday classic, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. The entire show was taped and repeated several times over a local radio station. This event was so successful that the Uwharrie Players decided to make it an annual event.
In 2005, the Uwharrie Players celebrated their 30th anniversary. As a part of this celebration, the Players recognized past shows at the annual awards dinner, repeated the popular show, SOUTH PACIFIC, put together a display of memorabilia at the Agri-Civic Center, and were featured in a special article in the Stanly News and Press.
Curt Little was elected as the Uwharrie Players’ first president. However, a career opportunity required Little to leave Albemarle after serving for only two months. The elected vice-president, Ken Campbell, became president and immediately began preparations for the Uwharrie Players’ first show. On June 12, 1975, the curtain went up on the Players’ production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s OKLAHOMA. Community theater was off and running in Stanly County.
In the thirty years since that June night in 1975, the Uwharrie Players have presented over 80 plays. At least 1,000 people have been involved in these shows, and over 50,000 people have paid to watch them.
For nearly two years, the Uwharrie Players operated without a true business component. In 1977, the Players revised their constitution and by-laws to include an elected board of directors that would handle the business of the organization. Bob Compton was elected by the newly formed board to serve as its first chairperson. The organization was also incorporated at this time and its official title became the Uwharrie Players, Inc.
Two characteristics have always distinguished the Uwharrie Players from most community theater groups. First, the shows that are selected to be presented each season are done so by a vote of the organization’s entire membership. This process was written into the original by-laws and has never been changed. A different process for selecting plays has been discussed from time to time, but has always been voted down by the Players’ membership.
The other distinguishing trait of the Uwharrie Players is that the organization has never had a permanent, paid staff person. Directors and other production staff positions are hired on a one show at a time basis. Organizational administration and fund raising are, and always have been done on a voluntary basis.
Over the years, the Uwharrie Players’ shows have been performed in a number of locations. In the early years, the Albemarle High School auditorium was the site most frequently used. Other locations included Central Elementary School’s auditorium, the North Stanly High School auditorium, Pfeiffer University’s campus theater, and the old Center movie theater. In 1989, Stanly County opened a new Agri-Civic Center with an 1,100 seat auditorium. That facility housed nearly every U.P. production for the next decade. In recent years, for size and financial reasons, some of the Players’ smaller shows have gone back to school auditoriums, and one was even performed in the newly renovated Market Station.
Of the seventy-plus shows presented by the Uwharrie Players, several have earned distinction. Plays that have been presented twice by the Players include: OKLAHOMA, LI"L ABNER, SOUND OF MUSIC, GUYS AND DOLLS, ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, DRACULA THE MUSICAL, THE FOREIGNER, and SOUTH PACIFIC. The inspirational rock musical, GODSPELL, holds the honor of being the Uwharrie Players’ most repeated show – four times (1979, 1980, 1985, 2001). FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1977), ANNIE (1987), and GREASE (1998) were the best attended shows in Uwharrie Players’ history. GREASE holds the distinction of being the most financially successful production ever.
In 1988, Gary Moran and Joan Giglio initiated the Uwharrie Players’ first awards banquet. This ceremony recognized the achievements of the Players’ past season and included humorous awards, acting awards, and the selection of the season’s favorite show. The awards banquet was so successful that it has become an annual event for the Uwharrie Players. Each winter, usually around the end of January or the first of February, the Players celebrate their past season with an evening of food, fun, and awards.
The Uwharrie Players suffered two great personal losses in 1989. Sam Holshouser was killed in an accident at the newly opened Agri-Civic Center in July of that year, and Joan Giglio succumbed to cancer in September. Both had been true leaders of the Players since the early years of the organization. Holshouser had performed on stage, served as board chairperson and as president, and had built many of the sets for plays. Giglio also performed on stage, served as secretary, treasurer, and board chairperson, and was known as the ultimate hostess for parties and banquets. Two annual awards are now given at the U.P. awards ceremony in honor of these individuals. The Holshouser Award goes to the person making the greatest back-stage contributions to the past season’s productions. The Giglio Award goes to the past year’s most outstanding board member.
In 1992, primarily through the efforts of Vicki Coggins, the Uwharrie Players obtained official tax-exempt status as a non-profit organization with the I.R.S. This status has greatly assisted the Players in their annual fund raising efforts.
The Uwharrie Players celebrated their twentieth anniversary season in 1994/95. Edna Lipe-Harkey headed up the committee that organized the activities for that special year. Some of the anniversary festivities included: encore presentations of some of the Players’ most popular shows (THE FOREIGNER, OKLAHOMA, and DRACULA THE MUSICAL); a display in the Agri-Civic Center lobby that featured costumes and memorabilia from past shows; a reception for the original cast members of the 1975 production of OKLAHOMA; a special supplement in the Stanly News and Press that covered the Players’ anniversary; and the establishment of a Uwharrie Players Hall of Fame.
The Uwharrie Players Hall of Fame was established to recognize and honor individuals who had contributed outstanding time and effort to the Players over a long period. Each year, a special committee comes up with a list of nominees to be considered for election to the Hall of Fame. To be elected to the Hall, a person must receive 75% of the votes cast by the organization’s membership and contributors. To date, seven people have been elected to the Uwharrie Players Hall of fame. These are Sam Holshouser (1995), Reed Furr (1996), Joan Giglio (1997), Leon Warren (1999), Patti Furr (2000), Martha Chapman (2003), and Edna Lipe-Harkey (2005).
In the fall of 2003, the Uwharrie Players decided to develop a website for listing the organization on the Internet. A committee chaired by Tim Shires and consisting of members Brian Jones, James Cotton, Sid Norvell, Reed Furr, Marty Medlin, and Joanna Flack were responsible for organizing and building this website. Brian Jones presently serves as Web Master for the Players site, which can be found at www.uwharrieplayers.org .
In December of 2004, the Uwharrie Players presented their first "radio show". This event was organized and directed by Rod Almond. With actors reading from scripts before a live, dinner-theater audience, the Players presented the holiday classic, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. The entire show was taped and repeated several times over a local radio station. This event was so successful that the Uwharrie Players decided to make it an annual event.
In 2005, the Uwharrie Players celebrated their 30th anniversary. As a part of this celebration, the Players recognized past shows at the annual awards dinner, repeated the popular show, SOUTH PACIFIC, put together a display of memorabilia at the Agri-Civic Center, and were featured in a special article in the Stanly News and Press.