Category Archives: The Bluegrass Players

Adult Actors, Drama, Family-Friendly, Show, The Bluegrass Players

Sense and Sensibility.. and Margaret (Aug 28 – Sept 5)

The Bluegrass Players present

Sense and Sensibility… and Margaret
By Rebecca Gellott (based on the novel by Jane Austen)

Performances: August 28 – September 5
Showtimes: Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 4:00pm

Runtime: approximately 2 hours 20 minutes · Pay What You Can: Friday performances are name-your-own-price; unsold tickets release two hours before showtime.

Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible seating with companion space is in the front row. If you have special needs, just let us know when you arrive.

Rating: Family-friendly — appropriate for all ages

Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility gets a fresh, theatrical twist—told through the eyes of Margaret Dashwood, the youngest sister and an aspiring novelist. From a café in the early 1800s, Margaret guides us back through her family’s story as Elinor and Marianne face love, loss, and life-changing choices—each in her own very different way: sense and sensibility.

With a large, colorful cast and quick-moving scenes that shift between “present day” and the Dashwoods’ past, this adaptation delivers romance, humor, and heart while celebrating the power of storytelling.

📍 Location: The Spotlight Playhouse — 214 Richmond Rd, Berea, KY 40403

Produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Denver, Colorado | www.pioneerdrama.com


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Adult Actors, Drama, Show, Teen Actors, The Bluegrass Players, Thriller

Salem’s Daughter (September 18 – 27)

Presented by The Bluegrass Players
By Craig Sodaro
Directed by Dana Hendren
September 18 – 27

Performances: Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 4:00pm

Runtime: approximately 90 minutes · Pay What You Can: Friday performances are name-your-own-price; unsold tickets release two hours before showtime.

Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible seating with companion space is in the front row. If you have special needs, just let us know when you arrive.

Rating: Mystery/suspense — recommended for ages 13+

🕯 About the Show
This gripping drama opens in 1691, where Sarah Brooks — tried and condemned as a witch — is sentenced to hang, cursing those who would disturb her rest.

Now jump to the present: six high school seniors gather for a graduation party at Heather’s house, built on the same hill where the condemned witches were buried. When a new girl named Sarah is invited and pressured into drinking a glass of “Initiation Punch,” the night takes a deadly turn. To protect their futures, the group makes a chilling decision — and a vow of silence.

Eight years later, construction near the well has revealed… nothing. But a police detective reports that a woman in a long dress has been seen on the property. Is it Sarah?

A chilling tale of suspense with excellent roles for women, Salem’s Daughter draws you in and doesn’t let go until the unforgettable climax.

Location: The Spotlight Playhouse — 214 Richmond Rd, Berea, KY 40403


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Produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Denver, Colorado | www.pioneerdrama.com

Adult Actors, Comedy, Dinner, Family-Friendly, Show, The Bluegrass Players

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (All-New) Dinner Show (Oct 2-11)

The Bluegrass Players present
Script & Direction by Chad Hembree
October 2, 3, 10 & 11

Performances: Fridays & Saturdays at 6:30pm, Sunday, Oct 11 at 1:30pm

Runtime: approximately 3 hours, including dinner

Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible seating with companion space is in the front row. If you have special needs, just let us know when you arrive.

Rating: Family-friendly — all ages welcome

Tickets: Coming soon

Dinner menu: Coming soon

🎃 About the Show
The legend returns to the Spotlight Playhouse—but not the way you remember it. In this all-new take on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the familiar world of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman is turned on its head with new villains, new heroes, new twists, new turns, new suspects, and new victims… while keeping the same great story at the center.

This is a comedy mystery dinner show designed to pull you right into the action. As the night unfolds, secrets surface, alliances shift, and the list of suspects keeps growing. Come ready to laugh, gasp, and second-guess everyone at the table—because in Sleepy Hollow, you never know what’s coming next… or who might not make it to dessert.

Don’t worry—it’s not scary! A few playful jump scares with the lights, but this is a laugh-out-loud, family-friendly show that kids love. The kind of ghost stories that make you go “what?” not “ahh!”

Location: The Spotlight Playhouse — 214 Richmond Rd, Berea, KY 40403

Comedy, Family-Friendly, Show, The Bluegrass Players, Thriller

Zombie Night: The Musical (October 23 – November 1)

The Bluegrass Players present
Directed by Chad Hembree
Book by Tim Kelly | Music by Bill Francoeur | Lyrics by Scott DeTurk
October 23 – November 1

Performances: October 23 & 24 at 8:00pm, Sunday Oct 25 at 4:00pm
October 30 at 6:00pm, Sunday Nov 1 at 2:00pm
No performance Saturday, October 31
Rating: Family-friendly — all ages welcome

Runtime: approximately 110 minutes · Pay What You Can: Friday performances are name-your-own-price; unsold tickets release two hours before showtime.

Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible seating with companion space is in the front row. If you have special needs, just let us know when you arrive.

🧟 About the Show
When the undead show up, survival takes more than luck — it takes teamwork, courage, and a little bit of humor. Zombie Night: The Musical is a spooky-fun, music-filled night of mayhem with big characters, big laughs, and plenty of Halloween-season energy.

🎭 Who’s Performing
The Bluegrass Players (community theatre)

Location: The Spotlight Playhouse — 214 Richmond Rd, Berea, KY 40403


Book now

Produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Denver, Colorado | www.pioneerdrama.com

Adult Actors, Comedy, Show, The Bluegrass Players

Have a Nice Doomsday (October 30 – November 8)

Presented by The Bluegrass Players
Ages 16-Adult
Directed by Erika Howard
October 30 – November 8

Performances:
Friday, October 30 — 8:00pm
Sunday, November 1 — 4:00pm
Friday & Saturday, November 6-7 — 8:00pm
Sunday, November 8 — 2:00pm

Runtime: approximately 2 hours · Pay What You Can: Friday performances are name-your-own-price; unsold tickets release two hours before showtime.

Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible seating with companion space is in the front row. If you have special needs, just let us know when you arrive.

Have a Nice Doomsday is an end-of-the-world comedy about what happens when friends gather for Thanksgiving on what could be the last day on Earth. An asteroid a quarter the size of the moon is speeding toward the planet, but Joann Monroe is determined to serve the perfect holiday dinner anyway. As her husband Neil tracks the news and every guest arrives on schedule, the afternoon explodes into a flurry of emotions, attacks, and retaliations: a botched engagement, a phone call to an ex-girlfriend, a marriage on the rocks, and an impromptu wedding performed by a young man from The Eternal Light Society. You’ll laugh out loud when a looming global cataclysm brings out people’s worst, and also their best.

Location: The Spotlight Playhouse — 214 Richmond Rd, Berea, KY 40403

Tickets: Coming soon

Produced by special arrangement with Heartland Plays, Inc., 88 Howard Beer Rd., Clancy, MT 59634 | www.heartlandplays.com

Adult Actors, Drama, Show, The Bluegrass Players

The Cherry Orchard (November 13 – 21)

Presented by The Bluegrass Players
Ages 16-Adult
Directed by Katherine Davis
November 13 – 21

Performances:
November 13-15 (Fri & Sat 8:00pm, Sun 4:00pm)
November 20-21 (Fri & Sat 8:00pm)

Runtime: approximately 2 hours · Pay What You Can: Friday performances are name-your-own-price; unsold tickets release two hours before showtime.

Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible seating with companion space is in the front row. If you have special needs, just let us know when you arrive.

Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard is a funny, heartfelt classic about a family returning to their beloved estate—only to face a hard truth: the property (and its famous cherry orchard) is drowning in debt and headed for auction. As friends, family, and longtime servants gather, they wrestle with what to do next—hold tightly to the past, or accept change and step into an uncertain future.

Location: The Spotlight Playhouse — 214 Richmond Rd, Berea, KY 40403

Tickets: Coming soon

Adult Actors, Dinner, Drama, Family-Friendly, Show, The Bluegrass Players

Dickens’ A Christmas Carol Dinner Show (Dec 17 – 20)

The Bluegrass Players present
Written & Directed by Chad Hembree
December 17, 18, 19 & 20

Performances: Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 6:30pm, Sunday, Dec 20 at 1:30pm

Runtime: approximately 3 hours, including dinner

Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible seating with companion space is in the front row. If you have special needs, just let us know when you arrive.

Rating: Family-friendly — all ages welcome

Tickets: Coming soon

Dinner menu: Coming soon

🎄 About the Show
Dickens’ beloved tale of Ebenezer Scrooge comes to life in this all-new family-friendly dinner show, written and directed by Chad Hembree. With live musical moments, heart, and holiday spirit, Scrooge’s journey from miser to joyful soul is reimagined for the whole family.

Location: The Spotlight Playhouse — 214 Richmond Rd, Berea, KY 40403

Adult Actors, Comedy, Show, The Bluegrass Players

The Murder Mystery at the Murder Mystery (January 29 – February 6)

The Bluegrass Players present
By Brian D. Taylor
Directed by John Bailey
January 29 – February 6

Performances: Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 4:00pm

Runtime: approximately 75 minutes · Pay What You Can: Friday performances are name-your-own-price; unsold tickets release two hours before showtime.

Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible seating with companion space is in the front row. If you have special needs, just let us know when you arrive.

Rating: Comedy/mystery — recommended for ages 14+

Tickets: Coming soon

🎭 About the Show
The players at The Murder Mystery Playhouse are rehearsing a new show — a not-so-good British murder mystery with cheesy dramatic music and questionable accents. But when the lights go out and a character dies onstage for real, nobody’s laughing.

The cast keeps replaying the scene, and every time they reach the end, someone else ends up with a fire poker in the chest. Is it a curse? A rival theatre company’s sabotage? Or something far more twisted? This hilarious play-within-a-play comedy keeps the audience guessing until the very last twist.

Location: The Spotlight Playhouse — 214 Richmond Rd, Berea, KY 40403

Produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Denver, Colorado | www.pioneerdrama.com

Adult Actors, Comedy, Dinner, Family-Friendly, Show, The Bluegrass Players

Tuned in for Murder Dinner Show (February 11 – 14)

The Bluegrass Players present
By Chad Hembree
February 11 – 14

Performances: Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 6:30pm, Sunday at 1:30pm

Runtime: approximately 3 hours, including dinner

Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible seating with companion space is in the front row. If you have special needs, just let us know when you arrive.

Rating: 14+ — all welcome

Tickets: Coming soon

Dinner menu: Coming soon

📻 About the Show
Completely revamped for this season, Tuned in for Murder is a fan favorite 1980’s Themed Murder Mystery Dinner Show. Written by local playwright and director Chad Hembree, this zany mystery delights audiences with a host of crazy characters. You’re invited to the 50th Anniversary of WJRK, and the owner has big news to share if he can live that long.

Location: The Spotlight Playhouse — 214 Richmond Rd, Berea, KY 40403

Spotlight Acting School, The Bluegrass Players, The Spotlight Players

The Spotlight Playhouse 2018/2019 Season

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As we begin rehearsals for our last few shows of the 2017/2018 season we look forward to another season of great entertainment, all located in our new 13,000sq ft Playhouse in Berea.

The shows are listed in Chronological order, but exact dates could change at this point.

The season consists of over 32 shows for 46 weeks of entertainment with over 150 performances. Don’t let anyone say there is nothing to do in Berea.

Look at the calendar in the next few days to see performance dates.

  1. Murder Mystery Dinner Show – by the Bluegrass Players
    (Aug 2018)
  2. A Spectacular Season Preview – by the Spotlight Players
    (Aug 2018)
  3. Press Start – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 4-9
    (Sept 2018)
  4. Let Your Hair Down, Rapunzel – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 4-11
    (Sept 2018)
  5. Young Frankenstein – by the Bluegrass Players
    (Sept 2018)
  6. You Can’t Take It with You – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 11-18
    (Oct 2018)
  7. Honk Jr. – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 9-14
    (Oct 2018) 
  8. Dracula  – by the Bluegrass Players
    (Oct 2018) 
  9. Brigadoon – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 11-18
    (Nov 2018)  
  10. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever – by the Spotlight Players (Intergenerational)
    (Nov 2018) 
  11. Christmas Showcase – by the Spotlight Players (Intergenerational)
    (Dec 2018)
  12. An Old Time Christmas Live Radio Show – by the Spotlight Players
    (Dec 2018)
  13. Christmas Mystery Dinner Show – by The Bluegrass Players
    (Dec 2018)
  14. Disney’s My Son Pinocchio JR. – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 4-9
    (Jan 2019)
  15. End Days  – by the Bluegrass Players
    (Jan 2019)
  16. Shrek Jr. – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 9-14
    (Feb 2019) 
  17. Space Pirates! – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 4-11
    (Feb 2019)  
  18. High School Musical – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 11-18
    (Mar 2019) 
  19. The Importance of Being Earnest  – by the Bluegrass Players
    (Mar 2019)
  20. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying – by the Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 11-18
    (Mar 2019)
  21. Festival of Short Plays
    (Mar 2019)
  22. Twelfth Night  – by the Bluegrass Players
    (Mar 2019)
  23. Musicville – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 4-9
    (Apr 2019)
  24. The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe – by the Spotlight Players (Intergenerational)
    (Apr 2019)
  25. Spamalot  – by the Bluegrass Players
    (May 2019)
  26. Junie B. Jones The Musical JR. – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 4-11
    (May 2019) 
  27. Clue Dinner Show  – by the Bluegrass Players
    (May 2019)
  28. Singin’ in the Rain JR. – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 9-14
    (Jun 2019)
  29. A Midsummer Night’s Dream – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 11-18
    (Jun 2019)
  30. Oklahoma! – by the Spotlight Players (Intergenerational)
    (Jun 2019)
  31. A Broadway Revue – by Spotlight Acting School
    Ages 9-18
    (Jun 2019) 
  32. Moon Over Buffalo  – by the Bluegrass Players
    (Jul 2019)