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Welcome to the Dorset Players' 81st season of Community Theater. In this age of belt-tightening, we strive to continue to provide affordable quality entertainment for the surrounding communities. The 2008-09 Season will begin with the outrageous farce, Room Service directed by Dom Degnon that will keep you laughing from beginning to end. Kevin O'Toole will once again direct our annual Holiday show. It will be a musical version of Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid. Jane Wood will be the Musical Director. In order to create an additional opportunity for young thespians to experience the thrill of being on stage, Missoula Children's Theater will be returning in January. Their production will be Hansel + Gretel. In addition, they will once again be conducting workshops in area Elementary Schools. Our winter show will be announced at a later date. Finally, our annual musical will be the classic, The Secret Garden. This poignant story and its haunting songs will appeal to all ages. It will be directed by Janet Groom, who directed the stellar Amadeus last year and Joanne Beck, who has been the pianist for a number of our children's shows, will be the Musical Director.

Successful seasons do not happen without the ongoing support and dedication of our many volunteers. When I first arrived in Southern Vermont, I responded to an article in the paper that was looking for tech people to work on South Pacific. The woman who answered the phone asked me to be an Assistant Stage Manager. From my first rehearsal in the original Dorset Playhouse, I was made to feel welcomed and therefore became an immediate member of this dynamic community theater group. I have traveled through the ranks from Stage Manager to Executive Producer to Vice President and now, President. I am grateful for the opportunities I've had to meet wonderful people and to participate in such a vital organization.

The reason I share this history with you is to invite you to consider, while enjoying our shows from those comfortable red seats, becoming involved behind the scenes. There are many roles to be filled in the Dorset Players, and I promise that you'll be welcomed with open arms like I was 10 years ago.

I would like to close with a note of sincere appreciation to our many supporters and sponsors. Each year people and businesses in the Shires purchase ads in our program, offer to sponsor a specific show, or donate items for our cafe. Our list of members is constantly growing. As a nonprofit organization, these contributions are essential to our survival; so fill out the membership form in the program or contact Sheila Conway, our office manager at dpi@vermontel.net
or 867-5570 for additional information.

Please look in The Vermont News Guide, The Manchester Journal, The Free Press, and our website, www.dorsetplayers.org for information about our shows and other special events that will be happening at the Playhouse throughout the Season.

Maureen Chaffee
President, Board of Trustees, Dorset Players, Inc.