For five years, the Rio Rancho Players Community Theater has entertained the City of Vision with Broadway-style performances. Now they invite audiences to enjoy dessert during their upcoming production of Thornton Wilder’s classic, Our Town.
The performance group is preparing for the eight-show run at The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho Life Plan Community, 900 Loma Colorado Blvd. NE. Performances will take place on Saturdays and Sundays from Oct. 12 through 27, along with a special date night gala on Friday, Oct. 18. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students, military personnel and educators, while the gala is priced at $35.
“It’s a play about everyone, no matter what town you’re in,” said Mel Sussman, founder and director of the Rio Rancho Players Community Group. “We grow up, we live, we marry and we die. It’s a story letting us know that for every day that you live, you need to appreciate life.”
This run of shows marks the Rio Rancho Players’ fifth anniversary of performing Our Town. Coincidentally, the group is reviving the play as it returns to Broadway, showcasing stars like Katie Holmes from Batman Begins and Emmy Award winners Jim Parsons of The Big Bang Theory and Richard Thomas from The Waltons.
According to Sussman, Our Town, written in 1936, is one of the most performed plays in American theater history, having been staged in countries worldwide, including Japan, England, France and Spain. Now, it’s returning to the stage in Rio Rancho.
The play features a cast of 25, but according to Sussman, the standout role is the stage manager. The character has about 400 lines and guides the audience through different scenes and transitions.
“It’s absolutely monstrous. Kind of like a maestro who leads everyone through the play,” Sussman said.
Debbie Hutton will play stage manager in this production, a role rarely portrayed by women, according to Sussman.
What sets this production apart is its unique dessert theater format, where audiences can enjoy sweet treats during the show. The desserts will be specially crafted by the chef at The Neighborhood in Rio Rancho Life Plan Community.
“The idea of a dessert theater is something that’s completely different from any of the other theaters in the area,” Sussman said. “You buy a ticket to the play, get a dessert, get a beverage and you sit at a table and enjoy the play.”
The Date Night Gala on Oct. 18, supported by Lily and Liam Bistro, offers a sweetened experience. Though a bit pricier, guests can enjoy appetizers before the play, desserts during intermission and live piano music by Jennifer Hall.
Unlike the Broadway show, the Rio Rancho Players lack a permanent venue, making this their third location in five years of performances.
Sussman said the group found some places to rent, but the prices were too high and they were not able to afford it yet. However, he is hopeful that within the next two years, they might have their own place.
According to Sussman, the theater group takes pride in being a “minor league” theater, providing a platform for actors to begin, grow and eventually move to the next level in their careers.
Kristen Mackey, for example, who starred in Albuquerque Little Theater’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar, got her start with the Rio Rancho Players.
“When I go to see them perform, they are outstanding, and when I think that they got our start with us, that’s a lot to be proud of,” he said.
The Rio Rancho Players Community Theater operates under the umbrella of Rio Rancho Creative Crossroads, a nonprofit dedicated to providing high-quality, affordable cultural arts to the Rio Rancho community.
Alongside the Rio Rancho Players, Rio Rancho Creative Crossroads offers programs including three choir groups for 2nd to 12th grades and GenerARTistry, which helps local artists create accessible art to share with the community.