Paula Pender, one of the artistic directors
at The Charlotte Players, has been with the
theater company since 1986. “In June of
1986, I auditioned for the Charlotte Players’
production of ‘Carnival.’ I believe this was
the second musical production attempted
by them. As I recall, the year before they
produced ‘Pajama Game.’ Since I was new to
the Players, I didn’t anticipate any role except
for the chorus as the amount of people
auditioning was extremely large. And sure
enough, I was cast as an ensemble performer,
having a number of small roles throughout
the show. This was my entry into the Charlotte
Players’ family.
Their family atmosphere is one of the main
reasons The Charlotte Players has been
able to survive 60 years, where a majority of
other theater companies fall by the wayside.
The Charlotte Players is extremely proud
to be one of the oldest performing arts
organizations in both Charlotte County and
the State of Florida. Their organization has
continually grown and evolved since 1961,
starting as a solo acting class that began at
the “Charlotte U,” an educational institute that
was located in what currently is a part of the
Cultural Center of Charlotte County. Today,
The Charlotte Players has over 230 active
members with an additional 600 subscribers.
“These are rough times for everyone, not
just our community theater,” added Jones.
“I would like our 60th anniversary to be
remembered as our milestone season, not
our last season. We are a theater, but we’re
also a community.”
Sherrie Moody, Executive Director of The
Charlotte Players said, “No one could have
ever predicted how the world would change
30 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE • September/October • 2021
in such a short period of time. The one thing
theater goers know is that live theater is never
the same. A show seen on Friday night might
be very different on the following evening.
That is why we all love live stage theater.
Change and fl exibility are integral facets of
live theater.”
“We did it even when circumstances
indicated we couldn’t,” said Jerry Jones,
President of the Charlotte Players Board of
Directors. “Hurricane Charley didn’t stop
us. We had to split our shows between the
Cultural Center and the Charlotte Performing
Arts Center, but the show went on. When
Irma hit in September 2017, we were in
rehearsal for the show that would open the
season three weeks later. I remember it well
because I was directing and I was also in
it. Everyone buckled down, and the show
opened on schedule.”
Making the best of a difficult
situation is written in a theater
person’s DNA. “The show must
go on” are not just empty
words to a thespian.
“The show went on,” continued Jones.
“Now, however, we are faced with a challenge
so formidable that mere hurricanes seem
minor in comparison - the pandemic of 2020-
21.”
“Like many organizations across the country,
COVID-19 has severely impacted and
changed our organization’s operations and
ability to pursue its mission,” added Moody.
Charlotte Player’s 2011
production of the musical
“Annie.”