Pumphouse Players

All About The Pumphouse Players (Press release by founded Don Kordecki circa 1978)

On an evening in 1975, the idea to form the Pumphouse Players was born. Seated around the Kordecki’s living room were Mimi Collins, Roger Hilton, Ollene and Don. Bemoaning the lack of an organized theatre group, the quartet decided to form one as soon as possible to produce the hilarious comedy “Mary, Mary!” The rest of the evening was spent pondering all sorts of names for the new group, with the final decision being to name the group Pumphouse Players.

Three months later, in mid-July, “Mary, Mary” was presented for three nights in the tiny store-front offices of the abandoned First National Bank Loan Office on Main Street. Floor to ceiling windows were covered with paper, a part-cardboard, part-scrapwood set was constructed against a wall-length counter and the wings on either side consisted of a janitor’s store room and the entranceway to the restrooms.

Forty chairs and a platform were borrowed from the civic center and the Episcopal Church, the publicity campaign was mounted, and the play was a huge success in the midst of the hot summer! Fortunately, we sold many Cokes, and netted a total profit of nine dollars after expenses.

The former owners of the Ramada Inn Restaurant asked us for a dinner theatre event and we re-mounted “Mary, Mary” with a slight change in cast in September and October, 1975.