River City Players to hold open meeting next week

River City Players, an area community theater company, will host an open meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday for existing members and those interested in learning more about the troupe and its upcoming shows and activities. The meeting will be at the River City Yacht Club, the upper level of Port Cape Girardeau Restaurant, where the group's productions are staged.

Roseanna Whitlow-Greenwood, president of the organization, in an email to the Southeast Missourian, said, "I am honored to be the president of the board of this great community volunteer organization. Having been a member, director, playwright, actor, backstage crew and board member for many years, I have great pride in our long and productive history, and I look forward to our exciting upcoming seasons."

The all-volunteer troupe, a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization requires no dues and has a 30-year history presenting three or four productions per year; each is cast through open auditions, and people throughout the region are welcome to participate.

"We have built a reputation of staging quality theater productions, with a great variety of unique shows -- original plays, participation plays, radio plays and, of course, classic comedies, dramas and family shows," said Whitlow-Greenwood, an instructor of Communications Studies at Southeast Missouri State University.

Wednesday's meeting will include a discussion of opportunities River City Players offers, ranging from acting and directing to set design, lighting and sound and including publicity, stage management, playwriting, costuming, makeup and hair and front of house duties such as ticket sales.

Whitlow-Greenwood said previous theatrical training isn't required for participation.

It "doesn't require experience, but we don't mind if you brag," she said in the email.

More information is available by contacting Whitlow-Greenwood at rwhitlow@semo.edu.

nhadler@semissourian.com

388-3640