Patrick Webb
The River City Playhouse is home to the Peninsula Players. The nonprofi t theater troupe is
raising money for the heating of the building.
Members of The Oyster Crackers will perform a benefi t concert for the Peninsula Players.
Heat for the green room
BY PATRICK WEBB
Chilly actors putting on their community
theater costumes in the River City Playhouse
have complained about the lack of heat for
years.
The playhouse is home base for the Penin-
sula Players, whose actors normally perform
three or four events there each year. Now
River City Playhouse hopes to solve the prob-
lem. The theater is hosting a benefi t concert at
2 p.m. Sunday to raise money for a new duct-
less heating system in the green room.
The fundraising event will be held at the
playhouse, located on 127 Lake St. S.E. in
Ilwaco.
The show will feature the Oyster Crack-
ers, a group of local musicians, including Rita
Smith, Bette Lu Krause, Christl Mack and
Phyllis Taylor. They sing and play multiple
instruments, including guitars, cello and man-
dolin. Proceeds will benefi t the theater troupe
and the musical group.
Smith is also a board member for the the-
ater group, and said the theater has had a heat-
ing system installed in the auditorium so peo-
10 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Peninsula Players
benefi t concert
The Oyster Crackers
Sunday at 2 p.m.
River City Playhouse, 127 Lake St. S.E.,
Ilwaco
$10 at the door; reservations needed, call
or text Rita Smith at 360-244-3517.
Masks required; proof of COVID-19 vac-
cination; audience limited to 50 to allow
distancing.
ple coming to see a show are comfortable.
However, backstage is a diff erent matter.
“The only heat in the green room is two
small electric heaters, not very effi cient and
very expensive ,” said Smith, who directs
many of the theatrical shows and often acts in
them.
She indicated that the troupe is hoping to
attract donations to help pay for the heating
improvements, while seeking grants from area
foundations.
Robert Scherrer also serves on the board,
and has performed at the theater in roles rang-
ing from Charlie Brown in the “Peanuts”
comedy cartoon to a singing Royal Navy offi -
cer in Gilbert and Sullivan’s “HMS Pinafore.”
“Warming up before a show generally
means going over lines or doing vocal warm-
ups — not doing calisthenics to keep from
having limbs drop off !” he joked.
The Peninsula Players were rehearsing a
musical called “A Bag Full of Miracles” in
March 2020 when COVID-19 restrictions
kicked in. Leaders canceled the show, and
called off all other planned activities in the
future until the health safety picture became a
little brighter.
The musical is tentatively set to return to
the stage in spring 2022. To whet audience
members’ appetites for live theater, Smith
and Scherrer will perform a short comedy by
Laurie Allen as part of the Sunday afternoon
fundraiser.
Patrick Webb
Robert Scherrer performs in ‘HMS Pinafore’ at
the River City Playhouse.