Incorporated in 1956, The Village Players Theatre has evolved over the years into a friendly, open, community theatre presenting a wide variety of productions. In the early 1950's, a group of well-off men and women from the Village of Ottawa Hills formed a theatre group for entertainment. Their first shows were presented with a tent as their theatre and were held in Ottawa Park, which is about one mile away from our current site. As the group continued to prosper and grow, they began to look for a new, permanent home. A small church building on Upton Avenue between Monroe Street and Central Avenue was acquired in the mid-1960's, and renovations began to turn the chapel into a true theatre space. Over the years, new seats, state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems, and numerous "work days" have turned the humble chapel into one of Toledo's most beloved performance spaces. Seating only 190, The Village Players Theatre is also one of the most intimate and friendly theaters in the area. The Village Players is 100% volunteer, from the people who man the ticket counter, run the lights and sound, to the actors. Our board is elected each year by the membership, board members are elected to a 3 year term, and board positions are 2 years in length. Actors are all pulled from local bars and taverns, fed coffee, given tidy positions in the paint room, and made to sweat long hours under hot lights.
