The first play of the evening, “Taking in Boarders,” was written by Beverly Wight Smith, who has been writing plays for the historical society since 1982. It takes place in early 1900s Vienna where Lydia is rather apprehensive about taking in boarders, but she and her husband, Benny, hate to refuse upon learning that the hotel had overbooked.

One of the guests, an elderly retired professor, had commenced his teaching career in the town of Vienna many years earlier, and he is eager to see the old familiar sights once more. He requires a downstairs room since he is somewhat lamed-up, so they plan to give him the one that crabby Aunt Hetty has when she makes a visit. Aunt Hetty and her niece Susan will not be visiting this year, as they are known to be on the way to Europe for a vacation… but sometimes plans change.

The cast for “Taking in Boarders,” which is directed by Matthew Dunn, includes Beverly Wight Smith, Judy Dunn, Steve Mallen, Pam Bean, Andrea Brann, Roger Reville, Jim Gajarski, Matthew Dunn, Kitty Gee, Barbara Gilman and Carole O’Connell.

The second play of the evening, “A Tango of Pirates,” will feature singing, dancing, swashbuckling and romancing. In Cheryl Herr-Rains’ adaptation of the 1925 play “Wappin’Wharf” by Charles Brooks, a 1920s wedding party of summer folks gradually finds out just how many scalawags there are in a tango of pirates when some of the out-of-town guests seem peculiar, even stranger than mermaids (arrrgh).

The cast of daring adventurers which is co-directed by Cheryl Herr-Rains and Courtney Gilman includes Rocio Carey, Tim Davis, Peter Diplock, Muffy Floyd, Wendy Oakley, Don Peterson, Quimby Robinson, Linda Stanton, Dodi Thompson and Tom Ward.

Admission price, unchanged for 30 years, is $5 for adults and $2 for children under 12. Refreshments will be sold by the Mill Stream Grange. Come early for good seats.


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