Four County Players Current Season
Welcome to YOUR 54th Season!
Shakespeare at the Ruins:
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Rick St. Peter
JULY 17 – AUGUST 1, 2026 at the Barboursville Ruins
ABOUT THE SHOW:
The beloved collaboration with Barboursville Vineyards returns this summer for one of Shakespeare’s most treasured works! In MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, one of Shakespeare’s most imaginative and exuberant comedies, contrasting pairs of lovers engage in a witty and suspenseful battle of the sexes. Attracted to each other, the maddeningly skeptical Beatrice and Benedick are dead-locked in a lively war of words until their friends hatch a plot to unite them. The mutually devoted Hero and Claudio, on the other hand, all too quickly fall victim to a malicious plot to part them. Near-fatal complications ensue, but with the help of the hilarious Constable Dogberry and his confederates, the lovers are ultimately united. Performances will be on-site in the beautiful Barboursville Vineyards, at the historic ruins of Governor James Barbour’s mansion, designed by Thomas Jefferson and destroyed by fire on Christmas Day, 1884.
George A. Romero’s
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE
By Christopher Bond, Dale Boyer, and Trevor Martin
Created by Christopher Harrison and Phil Pattison
Co-Directed by Katie Hutchins and Mary Speed
OCTOBER 9 – NOVEMBER 1, 2026 in the Cellar
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Six strangers in a lonely farmhouse, surrounded by brain-eating zombies – what could go wrong? NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE is a fun and hilarious re-imagining of George A. Romero’s legendary classic film. Through a series of multiple endings, the characters are all faced with different issues and challenges while desperately trying to survive the night. However, their contrasting personalities and agendas always seem to prevent the group from working together. Which leaves us all wondering: Could anyone survive a night of the living dead? Join us in the Cellar this Halloween season for a night of scares and laughter that will have you jumping out of your seats!
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD LIVE is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is a trademark of Image Ten Inc. Used by permission.
THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER: THE MUSICAL
Book and Lyrics by Jahnna Beecham
Music and Lyrics by Malcolm Hillgartner
Based on the Play by Barbara Robinson
Directed & Choreographed by Geri Carlson Sauls
Music Direction by Paulius Sinkora
Vocal Direction by Virginia Garey
NOVEMBER 20 – DECEMBER 13, 2026 on the Mainstage
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Join us for a new musical version of the perennial favorite! The Herdmans are the “worst kids in the history of the world” – so when they crash Sunday school and demand parts in the Christmas pageant, the whole town panics. There’s not supposed to be biting or cigar-smoking in Bethlehem, and while these kids have never even heard the Christmas story, they definitely have rewrites! Soon, everyone is calling for reluctant director Grace Bradley to cancel the whole thing. It’s up to the Bradleys and the Reverend to help their community see the Christmas story and the Herdman kids through new eyes in this buoyant musical adaptation of the funny and touching holiday classic, a longtime favorite of 4CP audiences!
THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER: THE MUSICAL is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing Global. (www.broadwaylicensing.com)
THE CEMETERY CLUB
By Ivan Menchell
Directed by Devynn Thomas
JANUARY 22 – FEBRUARY 7, 2027 in the Cellar
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Although the title of this play may give the impression that it is about death, THE CEMETERY CLUB is a warm and witty dramatic comedy about relishing life and embracing one’s loves and relationships along the way. The play centers around three widows who have been meeting once a month for tea before visiting their husbands’ graves, and explores how they are challenged and their friendships are tested, especially when a widower unexpectedly enters the scene. Join us in the intimate Cellar space for a very touching, very funny play that will leave an impression on your heart long after you’ve left the theater.
THE CEMETERY CLUB is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
THE CEMETERY CLUB is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
HARVEY
By Mary Chase
Directed by Stephanie Finn
MARCH 5 – 21, 2027 on the Mainstage
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, HARVEY is one of the most treasured plays in the American theatre, and has the distinction of being one of longest-running comedies in Broadway and West End history, as well as adapted into multiple film adaptations – most notably the 1950 film starring Jimmy Stewart. This endearing and hilarious play tells the story of the charming Elwood P. Dowd and his best friend, Harvey, who happens to be a six-foot-tall invisible rabbit. Elwood’s choice of friends doesn’t mesh with the socialite lifestyle of his sister, Veta, who is determined to save her family’s reputation (and her brother’s sanity). What follows is both a comedy of errors and a touching family drama about accepting and loving each other for who we truly are.
HARVEY is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. (www.dramatists.com)
LEGACY OF LIGHT
By Karen Zacarías
Directed by Karen Dabney
APRIL 9 – 25, 2027 in the Cellar
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Two women scientists, living hundreds of years apart, explore the meaning of love, motherhood, family, art, and science in this contemporary comedy. LEGACY OF LIGHT juxtaposes the story of Émilie du Châtelet, the real-life mathematician, scientist, and lover of the great 18th-century philosopher Voltaire, who became unexpectedly pregnant at 42, and that of a 21st-century physicist desperately trying to conceive a child. Across the ages, but under the same star-filled sky, their stories intertwine in this bright and funny play about life, the universe, and the legacy we leave behind.
LEGACY OF LIGHT is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
LEGACY OF LIGHT is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
SOMETHING ROTTEN!
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick & John O’Farrell
Music and Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick
Conceived by Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
Directed by ‘Derby’ Thomas
Music Direction by Craig Ames
Vocal Direction by Amelia Camacho
Choreographed by Geri Carlson Sauls
MAY 21 – JUNE 13, 2027 on the Mainstage
ABOUT THE SHOW:
Welcome to the Renaissance and this outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce, which has been lauded by audience members and critics alike, received multiple awards and accolades (including Tony nominations for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score), and been hailed by Time Out New York as “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years.” Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play, but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz. SOMETHING ROTTEN! is full of larger than life song and dance numbers, and a wacky cast of over-the-top characters, each with their own moment to shine!
Welcome to the Renaissance and this outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce, which has been lauded by audience members and critics alike, received multiple awards and accolades (including Tony nominations for Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Score), and been hailed by Time Out New York as “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years.” Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play, but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz. SOMETHING ROTTEN! is full of larger than life song and dance numbers, and a wacky cast of over-the-top characters, each with their own moment to shine!
SOMETHING ROTTEN! is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIshows.com
