How many of our readers remember the Stony Hill Players? A community theatre organized in 1945, the Players came to Warren in 1970 when they leased the old Union Village Methodist Church on Mountain Ave., converting the annex into a 132-seat theatre. The Players' first Warren production was "Cactus Flower," which debuted on April 5, l970. Two major productions which usually ran for eight performances were offered each year, one in the spring and one in the fall. The group's agreement with the church allowed it to use the old building as a playhouse in return for maintaining it. Although the Methodists had moved across the street to new quarters, they did not want to demolish the historic structure. During its time in Warren, the amateur group put on musicals such as "Kiss Me, Kate," "Pippin" and "Roar of the Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd." More serious productions included Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" and "Dial M for Murder." In the spring of 1981 the Warren Fire Department closed the theatre in the middle of its run of "Seven Keys to Baldpate," citing fire code violations. Emergency repairs kept the theatre open for a time but within a few years the church building was sold and turned into a private residence, forcing the Stony Hill Players to new quarters in New Providence. The group now performs in Oakes Memorial Church, Summit. [Echoes-Sentinel 3/19/70, 4/2/81; Star Ledger, 3/4/94] |