Peterborough Players will celebrate the return of live theater indoors and support the Second Company with an in-person live gala and auction at 55 Hadley Road in Peterborough Saturday, May 14, at 5:30 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m., the evening will begin with cocktails, passed hors d’oeuvres, and revelry in the Players’ newly renovated Rehearsal Hall, which is not often open to the public. Guests will be able to mingle in the Rehearsal Hall, as well as under a tent on the new outdoor Elsewhere Stage.
At 7 p.m., guests will be welcomed back into the barn for entertainment and bidding in the theater. Afterwards, coffee, dessert and farewells will happen in the lobby.
Items for bid include a Celebrity Chef dinner featuring Luca Paris of Luca’s Mediterranean Café, the president/CEO of the Greater Keene and Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, along with Peterborough Players Artistic Director Tom Frey; a week-long stay in Hern Cottage on Vinalhaven Island in Penobscot Bay, Maine; and a four-course culinary experience for eight by chef Carolyn Hough of Cranberry Meadow Farm Inn.
The evening’s entertainment will feature new company member Tracey Conyer Lee (Mrs. Webbin last summer’s “Our Town”) giving a sneak peek at Billie Holliday, who she’ll be portraying this summer in “Lady Day” at Emerson’s Bar and Grill; new company member Matthew McGloin,who will be featured this summer as both the emcee in “Cabaret” and as Richard in “2 Pianos 4 Hands;” director and choreographer of “Beehive: The 60’s Musical” Ilyse Robbins, who will be the choreographer of “Cabaret” and the director/choreographer of the Second Company show, “The Emperor’s New Clothes;” longtime company member Bridget Beirne; and the Players’ new artistic director, Tom Frey.
Players Family members will be appearing as the evening’s auctioneers. Conversation architect and magician David Baum will be joining the festivities, along with longtime supporter of the Players Phil Runyon of Runyon Law Office.
Tickets for the live gala and auction are $125 per person. A limited number of premium tables for 10 during cocktail time are available for $1,500. To purchase tickets, visit the Players’ website, peterboroughplayers.org, or call the box office at 603-924-7585.