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Show dates are Thursday through Saturday, August 26-28 at Ridgeland
High School Auditorium.

For more information, contact the director J.C. Howell at jc@norocks.net
or Betty Jo Mahaffey at bjmahaffey@yahoo.com

Click Here for more cast and crew information

You can also email us at: thecenterplayers@gmail.com

"Pops" Bailey - The stage doorman. Over 60. The traditionally wizened, crotchety, miserable, crusty, foul-tempered stage door keeper who makes book on the company phone and reads hidden copies of “Show Girls.”

Eric Hambrick- Eric Hahn Hambrick is a native of the Jackson area. He holds Vocal Performance and Business Administration degrees from USM and Mississippi College. He has performed on stages from the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco to Carnegie Hall. Locally you may find him performing with Mississippi Opera, The Mississippi Chorus, The Mississippi Chorus Chamber Choir or in community theatres around the area. He has been an active part of the music ministry of First Baptist Church in Jackson since his teenage years. He serves on the Board of Directors at Black Rose Theatre in Brandon. He also enjoys performing with Mississippi Murder Mysteries. This is his second time to appear in a Center Players production following his appearance as Stanley Sanders in Sanders Family Christmas. Some of his favorite roles that he has done include Horace Vandergelder in Hello Dolly, the Minstrel in Once Upon a Mattress, Mushnik in Little Shop of Horrors, Mr. Bumble in Oliver as well as brothers Stanley and Burl Sanders in Sanders Family Christmas and Smoke on the Mountain respectively.

Stanley - is about twenty. Lugs cable and runs around a lot and otherwise lives in the control booth.

Randall Bolden - Randall Bolden is an eighteen year old freshman at Millsaps College. He is the third child of Ricky and Betty Bolden. He has performed in various Center Players productions including Its A Wonderful Life and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Some of his other roles include: Jojo the boy in Suessical. Bun Foo in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Gad in the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat. Enjoy the Show!

Clifton A. Feddington - band leader, announcer, general manager, head-of-everything at WOV.

Charles Orr - Charles Orr, Jr. is a native Jacksonian and has always desired to be a part of the world of theatre since he began his theatrical training at an early age. He attended the Academic and Performing Arts Complex in Jackson and actively continues to perform within the industry. While at Tougaloo College, he acquired more vocal and stage training to further hone his skills. One of his favorite roles performed is Scarecrow in The Wiz. Other credits include: Smokey Joe’s Café, The Magician’s Nephew, Guys and Dolls, and Hamlet: Prince of Funk. Orr recently completed the short film Teal Optical, in the role of Ekovaugn. He is very delighted to perform with the Center Players.

Zoot Doubleman - the bandleader and plays the piano in “the most versatile band in the land.” More at home with the musicians and shares jokes with them.

Cynthia Stuart - Cynthia Stuart is thrilled to be returning for her third theatre experience with the Center Players as musical director/pianist. Her last role was as "Vera" in Sanders Family Christmas and was also seen as "The Baroness" in the musical Hats. Cynthia is owner and instructor of the Studio of Vocal Technique and Piano in Pelahatchie. She just completed her third summer as musical director for the New Stage summer camp where they presented Beauty and the Beast. Some favorite theatre roles are: "Dolly" in Hello Dolly (BRT), "Lola Faye" in Daughters of the Lone Star State (PP), and "Miss Stephanie" in To Kill a Mockingbird (New Stage). She is married to Donnie Stuart, pastor of Rock Bluff Baptist Church, and is the proud grandmother of Landon - 18 months old.

Wally Fergusson - poodle-eyed young hopeful from altoona, Pennsylvania who came to New York to work for his uncle at the drugstore and hopefully get his big break into show business.

Will Murphy - William Murphy is thrilled to be apart of such a wonderful cast in such a unique and different show. This is his first time performing on stage as an actor and he has had a lot of fun being involved in the whole process. He still can't believe he got the part. Special thanks to anyone who helped make his participation in this show possible. He looks forward to a great show!

Lou Cohn - busy keeping the true stage manager’s tradition by being the entrepreneur’s entrepreneur. Big shot.

Wayne Thomas - This is Wayne's tenth appearance in a Center Players production. He's performed in a variety of roles, from the good guy (Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird) to the bad guy (Henry Potter in It's a Wonderful Life) and has been cast in comedies as well as dramas and mysteries. What makes this performance unusual is that it marks the first musical he has performed in almost forty years. (yeah, he's old and no, we don't believe he was five at the time either). He's promised not to sing so we agreed to cast him. As always, he thanks his wife and children for allowing him to "play with friends."

Johnny Cantone - is the featured vocalist with the Cavalcade, who is on Sinatra’s bandwagon. Ex-welterweight boxer. Rough guy.

Ken Hackman - Ken Hackman has been very active with The Center Players since the group’s inception. Ken directed Arsenic and Old Lace, and the Female version of The Odd Couple, appeared as Hawkeye in M*A*S*H*, Tito in Lend me a Tenor and Mr. March in Little Women. He served as Program Chairman for the 2001-2002 theatre season, and Play Selection Chairman for the 2002-2003 season. A longtime veteran of many local theatres, some of his favorite past roles include the title roles in Dracula, The Foreigner, and The King and I. Ken has also performed as Joe in The Shadow Box, Snoopy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and George in The Red Peppers, a role for which he received the Best Actor award of the Mississippi Theatre Association (MTA) in 1989. Also an accomplished director and technical director, Ken has won awards in that arena as well, including Best Director at the Mississippi State Theatre Festival in 1987. He served four terms as the Secondary School Chairman of the MTA, and as President of both Clinton Community Theatre and Playhouse North. Ken teaches Zoology at Madison Central High School, and is married to Ruth Broome-Hackman, a talented actress in her own right. They have two daughters, budding actress Mandy, 21, and Allyn, 11.

Cool Factoid: Ken and his wife are the only married couple in Mississippi who have both won the state’s Best Actor award handed out by the Mississippi Theatre Association.

Ginger Brooks - bubble-headed waitress-turned-star discovery of Lou’s who found her in a restaurant where she still works.

Emily Trower - Emily Trower returns for her second appearance with The Center Players much sooner than she thought, but she is delighted for the opportunity to be part of a great cast and show. Favorite past productions include: "Once On This Island;" "Three Tall Women;" "Hamlet;" "Twelfth Night;" and "Hair." A native Virginian and sometime vagabond, she holds a degree in theater from the University of Virginia. Offstage, her interests include writing and training her horses in classical dressage.

Connie Miller - A seventeen-year-old bobbysoxer from Ogden, Utah. Born about ten years to lat: would have been a great Berkley girl. Always in love. Taps and Jitterbugs.

Kate Yost - Kate Yost is thrilled to be making her debut with the Center Players. She is the 16 year old daughter of Michael and Gina Yost. Kate is a Junior at Madison Central High School where she is an active member of the Madrigals choir and Thespian troupe. Previous credits include: Natalie Haller (All Shook Up), Mayzie la Bird (Seussical: the Musical), Ariel Moore (Footloose), Sarah Brown (Guys and Dolls), Maureen (RENT: School Edition), Rizzo (Grease), Tallulah (Bugsy Malone), and many more!

B. J. Gibson - the third of the Gibson brothers to work for Clifton. Tall, preppy, about twenty; a student at Yale who commutes to the weekend rehearsals and Monday night performances.

Wynn Gunter - Davis "Wynn" Gunter has been a stranger to the stage of Center Players for about 8 years with his last performance's being in were "Oliver" and "Cheaper by the Dozen." He is also a graduate of Mississippi School of the Arts where he was in the productions of "Bloode Wedding;" "A Midsummer's Night Dream;" "You Can't Take it With You;" and "The Oresteia Greek Trilogy." He has currently a pre-engineering major at Holmes Community College and will transfer next year the the Architecture program at Mississippi State University.

Neal Tilden - The comic who drives a cab. Son of the wealthy Tildens of Gramercy Park. Got cut-out of the will because he was “a bum in show business.” Lives with his mother.

John McMillan - Born and raised in Richland, MS, John still makes his home in that fine city. An active member of FBC Richland, John has also been a part of the Sanctuary Choir and a Children's Choir worker for more years than he cares to count, and currently sings with the southern gospel quartet, First Five. John spends most of his free time working in the yard or hanging out with his cute little red-haired nephew, Hudson. John's theater experience dates back to roles as Jim in Pump Boys and Dinettes with Primrose Path Theater, and Stanley in Smoke on the Mountain t Galloway United Methodist Church. John would like to take the time to say, "Thank you, J.C. for allowing me to be a part of this great show, and Cynthia, for not letting me ignore your emails concerning auditions! I really would have missed out on a great experience. Thanks, again."

Ann Collier - The old standard in Clifton’s Cavalcade: she’s been there since it started in 1936. She works during the day as a secretary for a larger corporation. A Redhead.

Lindsey Cacamo - Lindsey Cacamo graduated from Mississippi State University earning honors and a Bachelor's degree of Arts with emphasis in Communications. In 2005, she received an Irene Ryan nomination for her performance of "Lydia" in the modern contemporary stage play "Omnium Gatherum" at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. Her acting experience originated with the Center Players ten years ago. Former shows with the group include "Oliver", "Through the Looking Glass", and "It's a Wonderful Life". She proudly serves the community as a membership coordinator for the Downtown Jackson YMCA.

Geneva Lee Browne - beautiful, high-class, black singer from Kansas City where she played the Chesterfield Club with her own group, the Chocolate Drops. Started in New York at 15.

Betty Bolden - Betty Bolden is married to Ricky Bolden and they have three children. Two of her children are attending college and the other has just graduated from Tougaloo College. She is an instructor at Hinds Community College and Holmes Community College. She is a graduate of Jackson State University and Leadership Madison County. This is her third appearance with The Center Players and she is glad to be here!

Biff Baker - Started with Zoot when the band was only a six-piece combo in 1936 on WOV. From Chicago. Plays trumpet and or sax in the band.

Tommy Hoffman - Tommy Hoffman, a resident of Madison, is an experienced writer and director of musical productions. He has 20 years of experience in vocal and instrumental music. He is a lifelong resident of Madison County and is a member of the Christ United Methodist Church Orchestra. He has also performed in the pit orchestra for several community theatre productions in the Mississippi Delta. He attended Hinds Community College, The University of Southern Mississippi, and Delta State University, pursuing a Music Education Degree. Tommy has acted in several community theatre productions in the area, and has written, directed, and starred in 2 musicals for the Madison Square Center for the Arts, where he Directed the musical, Back to the 80's.

Director - JC Howell

JC Howell

Assistant Director - Lauren McDonald

Lauren McDonald - A recent graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with her BFA in Theatre Performance, Lauren is new to the Center Players' Company. Assistant Directing has been an incredible experience and she hopes to continue working with the Center Players while in Jackson for the next year. Favorite past roles include Lady Macbeth in "Me Thought I Was", Weird Sister in "Macbeth" and Matt Damon in "Matt and Ben". To the company, JC and the rest of the organization thank you so much for this opportunity to be a part of some amazing theatre. I am so thankful for your accepting me into your theatre family! Love it the most!

Lynn Evans - She has enjoyed being with Centerplayers for many years, and is happy to be working with so many old friends, as well as new ones. I had the pleasure to help with the previous production of "1940"s Radio Hour" with J. C., and am a big fan of the music of the era. Thanks to all for asking me!