Fifty years after its inception, the Mount Players Theatre Company has released a book celebrating all the group has achieved in half a century.
They have been entertaining the Macedon Ranges since 1972, from humble beginnings as a small play-reading group to performing all sorts of productions from musicals, to one-act plays, to dramas and comedies.
These days, actors come from near and far to be a part of the shows, and it’s been a journey worth celebrating to becoming a recognisable theatre company.
Mount Players committee member and social media coordinator Karlana Kasarik was one of the co-creators of the history book, which took three years to research, write and publish.
“I think everyone’s very proud and it was more of a challenge than we anticipated,” Ms Kasarik said.
“But we were surprised by the amount of information we could still source 50 years later.”
The group recently received a $1500 Macedon Ranges council grant to go towards the book’s publication.
Meeting minutes dating back to 1972, newspaper clippings and old newsletters were fascinating to researchers piecing together the company’s story.
“I think we’re really glad that we’ve got it down, for history, for future people to read and understand the love and passion that’s behind the theatre, that’s kept it going for 50 years,” Ms Kasarik said.
“It’s about the people, it’s definitely people-powered.”
From classic Noel Coward plays to feminist reimaginings of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservioir Dogs – the group has scope and the history book highlights this range.
“I think [we feel] enormous pride that we’ve had such good feedback about the book. People are surprised by what we were able to put together,” Ms Kasarik said.
Elsie Lange
