Flair for the Dramatic
Local theatergoers and community groups keep their passion for the stage alive.
Debbie Klinger’s lifelong love of theater has come full circle.
After performing in high school and college productions and taking classes at the Walnut Street Theatre in Philadelphia, Klinger, a resident of Huntingdon Valley, began auditioning for local community theaters. Most recently, she starred in eight performances of the fall comedy Nana’s Naughty Knickers with Village Players of Hatboro.
“I saw my first musical, Grease, when I was a teenager, and the next day I went out to buy the album,” Klinger recalls. “Live theater in Center City was so amazing, and now I enjoy sharing community theater, Philadelphia performances, and Broadway experiences with theater-loving friends and family members.”
Klinger, a 71-year-old retired special education teacher, always envisioned theater as part of her life.
In high school, when asked how she pictured the life she would one day have, she said she wanted to live in the suburbs with two children and continue her love for theater as a hobby. Her vision ultimately came true.
For more than 30 years, Klinger performed in numerous musicals at the Beth Sholom and The Adath Jeshurun Players in Elkins Park. Her roles included the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz, the mayor’s wife in The Music Man, Albert’s mother in Bye Bye Birdie, and Miss Hannigan in Annie.
“One of my biggest joys was when I had a minor role in Fiddler on the Roof,” she says. “My son played Perchik, and my daughter-in-law portrayed the oldest daughter, Tzeitel. I adored telling people how rare it was to have the opportunity to attend my daughter-in-law’s two nuptials—her actual wedding and the Fiddler wedding!”
Today, performing close to home is especially meaningful for Klinger. She has also passed her love of theater on to her two granddaughters, ages nine and 12, who have each appeared in several school and camp musicals.
For theater enthusiasts like Klinger, the magic of the stage is about far more than the performance; it’s about creativity, friendship, family, and the joy of sharing a lifelong passion.
There’s another perk to attending a show staged by a community theater: Tickets typically go for $20 to $30, compared with professional theater and Broadway performances, where orchestra seats can cost $200 to $400, if not more.
Creativity and Community
Deb Schrager, 69, of Flourtown, has been involved in theater since high school. After college, she began auditioning and became active with the Beth Sholom Players, which no longer hosts productions. Her experiences there inspired her to direct and eventually branch out into community theater, where she found a larger talent pool and more flexibility in the types of shows she could pursue.
Schrager has performed or directed with Methacton Community Theater, The Savoyard Light Opera Company, and Jenkintown Music Theatre. All told, she has directed 30 shows and performed in 40, including Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Sweeney Todd.
She is currently attending Villanova University’s graduate theater program for formal training and has also performed in several productions there.
“I appreciate that the people involved in community theater are incredibly supportive of one another,” she says. “My involvement in theater helped me develop this close-knit group of friends with common interests. This was a major help, especially when my husband became ill.”
Schrager encourages anyone who enjoys theater to get involved, whether onstage or behind the scenes. She also appreciates that community theater brings the arts directly to local audiences.
“It’s a wonderful creative outlet and allows you to do things outside of your daily work life and your personal life,” she adds. “It’s part of the fabric of our communities and features people who live and work in your area and want to give back positively and creatively.”
Harvey Perelman of Huntingdon Valley never expected theater to become such a big part of his life. More than 30 years ago, he and his wife, Ilene, caught the theater bug by helping with props for Damn Yankees and Bye Bye Birdie at the Beth Sholom Players.
Since then, Perelman, 68, has worked with six or seven community theaters, taking on everything from set design and construction to lighting, digital lighting design, stage management, and producing. At nearby Lower Moreland High School, his set designs for musicals and dramas are considered legendary.
“I used to think I would stop and spend more time in South Florida,” he says. “But I’m not ready to give it up. Overall, I get a lot of joy out of it.”
Perelman tells students and others he works with to savor the process, because the ride will last for only so long.
“There are three, six, or nine shows and then it’s over,” he adds. “The joy is the months you spend together from the casting process to rehearsing while building a show.
“Theater is an amazing experience,” he continues. “You become part of a family that works closely together and trusts one another. You can be different and still be accepted. That’s what is so great about it. I am constantly learning.”
Susan Stutman Bloom of Jenkintown discovered her theater niche through makeup. After years of ballet, she took art and theater classes in high school and learned theatrical makeup for school productions.
In 1986, she was asked to do makeup for Jenkintown Music Theater’s production of Pippin. That was followed by Brigadoon and Guys and Dolls. She later began working with Willow Manor Players in Glenside, where she has worked for more than 20 years.
“I ended up becoming the head of the makeup crew,” Bloom recalls. “Once you find a group that you enjoy, stick with that one. It will fill your heart with joy.”
Today, she continues doing stage makeup for productions by Jenkintown Music Theatre and Willow Manor, including the upcoming mid-November production of Fiddler on the Roof.
Jennifer Corsanico Berger has been involved with Jenkintown Music Theatre since 2002, beginning with My Fair Lady. Now, as the theater’s director, she leads productions of shows such as 9 to 5, Bright Star, Ragtime, and Sweeney Todd.
The auditions can be packed. About 110 local actors auditioned for Sweeney Todd and 120 for Ragtime. Why do so many performers want to join?
“It’s because of the high quality of the productions we are doing,” Berger says. “We are doing really good material, and both long-time participants and performers that are new to us want to be part of it. … The goal is to put on a beautiful production. As a director, my journey is to help everyone get to know the content and bond the cast.”
Community theater, Berger adds, attracts talented people across generations and from all walks of life—teachers, lawyers, business owners, tradespeople, etc. No matter where they come from or what they do, she says the cast and crew become “one big creative family.”
A Bucket-List Role
For Beth Gayer, 61, of Lafayette Hill, community theater recently delivered a bucket-list moment.
Gayer was cast as Berthe, the grandmother, in Methacton Community Theater’s production of Pippin, debuting in November. She has dreamed of playing the role for years and especially loves that Berthe encourages the cast and audience to sing during the song, “No Time at All.”
Gayer has performed since childhood but took a 15-year break to raise her children. After returning to the stage four years ago, she has appeared in six shows, including Fiddler on the Roof, Anything Goes, The Prom, and A Man of No Importance.
“It is a way for people to bring joy to themselves and others,” she says. “If you are afraid to get up in front of an audience, there are stage-crew and box-office positions.”
As for Gayer, performing is in her blood; her grandmother was a concert pianist, and her mother was a professional opera singer.
On opening night and throughout a production, Gayer treasures seeing family, friends, and colleagues in the audience.
“My mom and my son are coming in from Florida to see me in Pippin,” she says. “I’m grateful that people who come to the show are supporting me, the community, and our mutual love for the theater.”
Gayer’s advice to anyone curious about community theater is simple: Give it a try.
“Some people do it once a year, and others embrace it show after show,” she adds. “You can stay with one company or hop among them.”
Break a Leg
Whether someone wants to get involved in a production or simply attend one from the safety of the audience, the Philadelphia area is awash in local theaters—some professional, others community-led. Visit the websites of the following establishments for more information about upcoming performances, tickets, auditions, and more.
Act II Playhouse
Ambler
act2.org
Arden Theatre Company
Philadelphia
ardentheatre.org
Bristol Riverside Theatre
Bristol Riverside Theatre
Bristol
brtstage.org
Bucks County Center for the Performing Arts
Bucks County Center for the Performing Arts
Carversville
buckscountycenterfortheperformingarts.org
Bucks County Playhouse
New Hope
bcptheater.org
DCP Theatre
Telford
dcptheatre.org
The Dramateurs Inc. at the Barn Playhouse
Jeffersonville
barnplayhouse.org
Ensemble Arts Philly at the Kimmel Center
Philadelphia
ensembleartsphilly.org
Jenkintown Music Theatre
Jenkintown
jenkintownmusictheatre.com
Langhorne Players
Newtown
langhorneplayers.org
Methacton Community Theater
Methacton Community Theater
Collegeville
methactoncommunitytheater.org
Montgomery Theater
Souderton
montgomerytheater.org
Narberth Community Theatre
Philadelphia
mynct.org
People’s Light
Malvern
peopleslight.org
Philadelphia Theatre Company at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre
Philadelphia
philadelphiatheatrecompany.org
Playcrafters of Skippack
Playcrafters of Skippack
Skippack
playcrafters.org
Theatre Horizon
Theatre Horizon
Norristown
theatrehorizon.org
The Star Players of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation
Philadelphia
facebook.com/starplayersPPR
Town and Country Players
Buckingham
townandcountryplayers.org
Village Players of Hatboro
Village Players of Hatboro
Hatboro
thevillageplayers.com
Walnut Street Theatre
Philadelphia
walnutstreettheatre.org
Willow Manor Players
Willow Manor Players
Glenside
willowmanorplayers.com
The Wilma Theater
Philadelphia
wilmatheater.org
Photo by Renee Hrin
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, November 2026
