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As an ex-president of The Play ers, as well as an ex-scenery chairman, ex-secretary and ex director, I prepared the follow ing historical sketch of Saraso ta’s famed non-professional the atrical organization. Having seen Monday night’s historical open ing of ‘‘Carousel,’’ I appreciate the privilege of prefacing my story with the following state ment. “‘During my 25 years res idence in Sarasota, there are few theatrical productions either professional or non-professional that I have missed, and I am happy to state without equivoca tion or qualification that through out these 25 Sarasota seasons I have never enjoyed a more thor oughly satisfying evening of the atrical entertainment.’’—C.McM... By CLAYTON McMICHAEL During its twenty-five year his tory, The Players of Sarasota has had 10 presidents, and 15 directors; an average presidential term of two-and-one-half years, and an av erage directorial term of less than two years. Apparently presidents last longer than directors. The longest serving president was Hester Ringling Sanford, with a five year term. The longest di rector, Clayton McMichael, with four. The current president, Rob ert L. Cummings, is now serving his fourth term; and the current director, Frederick Johnson, is in his third year. Longevity records may yet be broken. Let us go back to the beginning. The first president, the late Mrs. Charles Hull Ewing, took office during the founding year 1930-31, when there was no such item on the budget as ‘‘director’s salary;” when founder Fanneal Harrison, head of the Out-of-Door School, supplied through her teaching staff and Parent’s Club,most of the talent; and when all plays were one-acts produced either in mem bers’ homes or in the crude, con verted Golf House on Siesta Key. By the second year, however, the need of a professional director was generally recognized. The membership had spread beyond the insular limits of Siesta Key. The plays were produced in such public halls as the Coliseum or the Golf Street Auditorium. Walter Young was employed as director. The late Frederick De Canizares became president, and during his second year, he saw The Players established in its first city home, a converted store on East Main St. But director's salaries were high even in that distant day. By 1933, financial ruin faced the infant or ganization, so the following year, under the presidency of the late Mrs. William H. Donaldson, Carl Glick, who was so sure he could make Little Theater pay its own way that he was willing to accept a profit-sharing salary, became di rector. His teachings paid off. Ne ver since 1933 has The Players had a deficit. He was followed by Leon ard B., Pete” Barker, who stayed two years and produced in 1935 a comedy, “Goodbye Again,” whose expert cast established a laugh high, that has never in the succeeding 21 years been beaten! The next two years, under the leadership of Mrs. Warren F. Pur dy were important ones. They wit nessed the building and opening of the present theater, at Broadway and 9th St. Sparked by a very substantial contribution from Mrs. Donaldson, and further kindled by the gift of the land from the City of Sarasota, the 400 members raised in two months the $10,000 original cost of this fine building. The Alexander Blocks had now ar rived in town, and an annual mu sical production had been added to the schedule. The newly-built the ater was opened with Gilbert Sullivan’s, “The Sorcerer.” ey . In 1939 and 1940, Mrs. Loring Raoul presided over an organiza tion whose membership had more than doubled with its move into its own theater. Her director, Charles H. Parsons Jr., was cap able, perceptive and efficient. His percentage of his offerings was high, and Mrs. Raoul’s gracious supervision of rehearsals, commit tee work, and the important social side of the theater resulted in a wealth of talented volunteers in all departments. With Clayton McMichael’s elec tion to the presidency in 1940, came a change of directors. Adna Karns, of Yellow Springs, Ohio, brought us many things, not the least of which was a stupendous production of “Peer Gynt.’’ He was followed the next year by Hugh Nevill, our only playwright direct or, whose “Love Rides the Rails’ closed the 1942 season with much merriment. In the meantime, how ever Pearl Harbor day had come and gone. Hugh Nevill, an English man, enlisted in the American Ar my, was shipped overseas, and died in London the following win ter. His loss was keenly felt by The Players. No Players’ director before or since, was so widely loved. Throughout the season 1943-44, the theater was closed, but the next president, the late Mildred Kerry, had the vision to see that our Little Theater could serve our community and hence our country better by resuming its operation than by remaining ‘‘dark.’’ Prac tical difficulties were legion. Gas rationing alone was enough to dis courage operation. Many former Players were away in service. President Kerry's brave and de termined leadership surmounted all difficulties, however, and in 1943-44 and 1944-45 the theater came to life again with renewed vigor. The late Frederick Lane was president during the next year, a year of readjustment from a war time to a peacetime operation, and in the spring of 1946, he handed over to Hester Ringling Sanford the reins of Players’ government. Mrs. Sanford, a founder mem ber, served for the next five years. Her years were years of phenom enal growth. Membership jumped from under 1,000 to nearly 2,000. Box office receipts rose corres pondingly. Plays which had for merly run three or four perfor mances, extended to a full week and more. Mrs. Sanford was as sisted in the scenery department by her son, Stuart Lancaster, the present owner-director of the Palm Tree Playhouse. Her stage direct ors were Onslow Stevens in 1946, Freddie Bryan in 1947, and finally Clayton McMichael, 1948-52. In 1950, Mrs. Sanford retired aft er a long and useful service to The Players. She was succeeded by Robert L. Cummings. Under Cum mings, after McMichael resigned in 1952, the directorship was award ed to Frederick Johnson, and a new post of technical director was created and awarded to Peter Strader. The Cummings regime has witnessed many additions to the physical equipment of the thea ter, so that today it is safe to say that few community theaters in the country can claim a finer plant and more up-to-date equip ment than The Players of Sara sota. But When some future historian again records the work of Play ers’ presidents, it will not be for additions to plant and equipment that President Cummings will be remembered, but for having re vived musical theater with the cur rent production of ‘‘CAROUSEL.”
Newspaper Details
Sarasota News
Sarasota, Florida, US
Wed, Apr 20, 1955
Page 16
Full Page
Clipped by
Russell W.
AU 03 May 2026
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