They started with a small performance of ‘Two Blind Mice? at Clarkston High School in 1961. Now, 45 years later, the Clarkston Village Players have become a landmark in the community they entertain.
The theater group has an extensive history, one Marlene Sewick, group member since 1963, has been working to document.
CVP was only a roving troupe for a short period of time. The original troupe , a group of friends numbering less than two dozen, gathered at each others homes to practice and performed at CHS.
Eventually, the group found their home in the Depot Theater on White Lake Road, which like the CVP themselves, has undergone a lot of changes over the years. Visitors cannot help but notice the unusual look and location of the theater. The theater was originally an old train station, located a short distance from the tracks.
In use until 1959, the station was purchased from Grand Trunk, the train company who owned the station, by CVP.
‘The Depot had closed to passenger stops in the late 1950s. The price for just the building was $150. The land still belongs to the railroad and CVP must maintain insurance on the building and have a plan to dispose of it if no longer in use,? Sewick wrote in an e-mail correspondence. Sewick said that is why the parking lot at Depot has remained unpaved.
By 1964, the station was converted into a theater and open for business, seating 80 people on wooden folding chairs. According to Sewick, the theater’s original curtain was taken from the Clarkston Opera House, and has been preserved for use today for certain dramatic performances.
Amy Seaman has been involved with CVP for nine years, and is in her first year as the group’s president . Seaman observed that change is always constant within the group, especially when it comes to the theater itself.
‘We’re constantly trying to update our systems and sound and lights, Seaman said. ‘We had started out with a really antiquated lighting system and we’ve updated that as much as we could.?
‘Every time we squirrel away some money we try to do what we can to improve our area,? Seaman said,
Over the decades, the theater has gone through several renovations with group members carrying double duty; working as actors or directors at night and working as electricians or roofers during the day.
‘We’ve got so many dedicated people like Verne Vackero,? Seaman said. Vackero has been with the group for many years and most recently appeared as Claude Monet in the production of ‘Defying Gravity.? ‘He is very dedicated and is currently like our building maintenance person,? Seaman added.
Building work is nothing new though, as Sewick indicated the process of shaping up Depot Theater has been going on for decades.
‘The group raised and spent $15,000 to complete the upgrading of the Depot,? Sewick wrote. ‘Endless hours of planning and work saw CVP gaining nonprofit status, dealing with Grand Trunk and the (Independence Township) Planning Commission and Zoning Board and the actual construction (95% of which was done by member volunteers).? Sewick noted that work continued from 1981 until 1990. Since then, sporadic work has continued on the Depot, as changes are constantly being made.
Building projects aside, the CVP got their footing in the 70’s, expanding and getting the attention of the community.
‘People were coming out on a regular basis to enjoy the offering of the no longer fledgling theater,? Sewick wrote. ‘CVP was becoming very comfortable in the Depot and concentrated on giving the audiences what they wanted? comedies and trains.? A lot of laughs were had in the seventies, with nearly two thirds of the group’s performances being comedies.
Dean Vanderkolk has been involved with CVP for 22 years, and in that time has seen the group, and the theater go through several changes.
‘The building has changed greatly in terms of physical structure over the years. When I first began, there were no plumbing facilities in the building, so patrons and actors all had to use a port-a-potty to answer nature’s call,? Vanderkolk wrote in an e-mail. ‘As you know, we are in very close proximity to the railroad tracks, and being caught inside when a train went by was an exciting experience, to say the least.?
‘I like working with the group because I feel it really makes an effort to present fresh theater to its patrons,? Vanderkolk added. ‘We try very hard to present plays that are different from the typical community theater staples, and we often get the opportunity to present some very dynamic and challenging shows.?
But performances are not the only challenges the group faces. Seaman said when a certain play receives low turnout, it can be hard to determine why.
‘We might have a real high ticket sales year… and then the next year we’re really low and we’re like ‘what’s going on??? Seaman said ‘You can’t beat yourselves up over it because you don’t know.?
Seaman commented that working in a small theater limits the type of shows that can be performed, but also has some benefits.
‘In some ways it’s so wonderful because it’s such an intimate place and we can do such intimate shows and people really feel like they’re part of what’s going on,? Seaman said.
Such close interaction with the audience means the CVP is quick to get feedback on their performances, especially when emotions are stirred.
‘People let you know. You find out,? Seaman said. ‘They’re not quiet about it.?
Last season’s performance of ‘Bat Boy? raised some eyebrows and brought criticism from audience members who found parts offensive.
‘Unfortunately that does happen from time to time… we don’t do shows like that all the time,? Seaman said.
‘I think that there are shows that aren’t for everybody and we are up front with our publicity and our posters,? Seaman said. ‘When people feel uncomfortable, that’s when they feel inclined to voice their opinion but sometimes theater makes you uncomfortable.?
‘Theater pushes all kinds of buttons in you and they’re not all good,? Seaman said.
Seaman said shows like ‘Bat Boy? are not performed with the intent of being offensive and the group tries to take criticism in stride.
‘We had members who didn’t like ‘Bat Boy,? we had people in our own group who didn’t care for it and we had people in our group who did,? Seaman said.
Likewise, Seaman said feedback from the community is mixed, and even though certain plays will receive a lot of public criticism, Seaman said she hears feedback from people saying how much they enjoyed a show, or in the case of ‘Bat Boy,? gratitude for showing the audience something they have never seen before.
‘That’s what theater is all about, seeing something you’ve never seen before in your life,? Seaman said.
Even with the struggles involved with building upkeep, constant fund-raising to keep the doors open and finding fresh material to entertain the community, Seaman said everyone has a lot of fun.
‘I truly enjoy theater in general,? said Seaman, who also works as Theater Manager for Clarkston High School ‘I think community theater really has a good place for people who want to express themselves creatively.?
The thespians of the CVP strive to present fresh material..
‘I think we have a big variety of what we offer the community as far as the type of shows that we do,? Seaman said. ‘We tend to do things that you can’t really see at a lot of places and I really like that. We don’t tend to do things that you see everywhere else and that’s what I really like about being involved with Clarkston Village Players.?
The next out-of-the-ordinary play in production by CVP is the comedy ‘Sylvia? by A. R. Gurney.
Directed by Vanderkolk and produced by Karen McClellan, ‘Slyvia? stars Nick Szczerba as Greg, a man going through a mid-life crisis who finds solace in an unlikely companion. Greg finds a stray dog named Slyvia (played by Wendy Hedstrom) wandering in a park and takes her home, much to the dismay of his wife Kate (played by Hale S. Wells).
The chaos caused by Sylvia goes from a minor annoyance to a major concern for Kate as Sylvia moves in on her territory, taking both Greg’s time and affection. Can marriage counseling help or will the influence of man’s best friend be too much?
The play contains adult language and is not suitable for children.
Performances of ‘Sylvia? are scheduled for Jan. 13-15, 19-21 and 26- 28.
Show times are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $12 for Friday and Saturday performances and $10 for Thursday and Sunday.
Tickets are available for purchase through www.clarkstonvillageplayers.org or by calling 248-625-2511. They are also available by leaving a message on the Clarkston Village Players ticket line at 248-625-8811. Tickets may be purchased at the door the night of the performance; however, availability can not be assured.
For more information, please visit the Web site or call 248-625-8811. The Clarkston Village Players and Depot Theater are located at 4861 White Lake Road.