In McDonough, Georgia, inside an old building many people pass without a second glance, a theater has been quietly teaching a town how to gather. For 35 years, The Henry Players have survived on long nights, volunteer hands, borrowed patience, and the stubborn belief that art matters even when money is tight and the world is distracted.

That belief lives in people like Amanda Massie and Melissa Rice, two women who came to the theater by different roads and stayed for the same reason. One grew up in theater and learned to love both the spotlight and the work behind it. The other arrived as a mother, waiting on her daughters during youth rehearsals, then picked up a broom, cleaned what needed cleaning, and never really left. Over time, they became part of the board, Rice joining as the marketing chair in 2017 and becoming the current president in 2020. Massie joined the board in 2018 as stage management chair and has served as vice president of operations since 2020, and as a crucial cog in the group’s engine for much longer. They talk about the theater the way people talk about family: with pride, fatigue, laughter, and a little disbelief that everyone has made it this far.

“I think about how many people drive by this building daily and never, in their wildest dreams, think of what’s inside of here unless they already know,” says Massie. “You have a theater; you can seat nearly 200 people, but it’s also an intimate space. Our theater provides so much, and my wish is that people discover what’s here, especially if they don’t know.”

There were hard years. COVID nearly broke the rhythm of live performance. Rehearsals moved online. Audiences disappeared. Money thinned out. A production of Mamma Mia!, delayed for months, finally reached the stage under masks and strict distancing, only for the lighting computer to fail during opening night. For a moment, everything hung in the balance. Then a quick-thinking young crew member grabbed the spotlight and held the show together by hand. That, in a way, was the whole story of The Henry Players: when something fails, someone steps forward.

And then there is HYPE, the youth program, where middle and high school students learn not only acting, singing, and stage combat, but how to belong. Mentored by local educator Joaquin Santiago, they build props from cardboard, run booths, elect student leaders, and welcome nervous newcomers. Some of them return later as trusted crew members, performers, even future leaders. In a world that can be sharp and lonely for young people, the theater offers them a place to arrive exactly as they are.

What has kept the company alive is not one show, one donor, or one season. It is the mix of old loyalty and new energy, of seasoned supporters and younger artists reaching beyond the county line. It is the audience member who comes back repeatedly, the parents who wait in the lobby, the teachers, the directors, the kids who sing too loudly in summer camp, and the volunteers who stay late painting scenery under dim lights.

“One of my favorite parts is seeing people learn how much they enjoy this,” says Rice. Occasionally the troupe features shows like The Evil Dead, which of course draws on its own cult following. But Rice’s goal is to continue encouraging not only those who follow specific cultural favorites, but those who literally “Google” what to do in Henry County, Ga.

“I think that one thing our productions always do a good job of is the fact that in our shows there is something interesting for everybody, there’s a little something for everyone here,” Rice says, “even if you’re not a theater person. And we have a lot of local talent that’s wonderful who just didn’t go the performing route for their careers; they’re here and they can shine.”

As audiences diversify, like the areas from which they hail, Rice enjoys learning about those who are in attendance. “We’ve gotten good this past season about asking people, ‘Hey, how did you hear about us? Is this your first time here?’ Often we get, ‘I’m in McDonough, and we were just bored tonight. And we just came out, just decided to give you a try.’ That’s my pitch,” Rice says. “I would love for that to happen across all of Henry County.

“Just come and give us a try. We are so good.”

So remember, next time you pass the building at 136 Hood Street, don’t pass it up. From the street, it may look like just another building. Inside, it is a small, stubborn miracle that opens its doors to you for the 36th season, featuring a half-dozen shows you will not want to miss!

CONTACT DETAILS

Organization: The Henry Players
Address: 136 Hood Street, McDonough, GA 30253
Website: henryplayers.com