Some theater and event centers shuttered during the pandemic earlier this decade and many places were left stagnant. Getting people to attend even after the pandemic restrictions were lifted has been hard for almost everyone trying to get events together. 

One of them was Defiance Theater, newly rebranded as Defiance Community Players, which was originally founded in 1969 and officially named a nonprofit in 1976. They created performing arts opportunities, scholarships and other important duties in the name of performing arts. 

This year, they’re coming back with a strong launch and their first in-person performance in years during Strawberry Days. 

“We’ll be in the parade this year,” said Travis Wilson, president of Defiance Community Players board. “We’ll be recreating characters from past performances, like “You’re a Good Man”, “Charlie Brown,” and “The Wizard of Oz.”

Defiance Community Players will also have a part to play after the parade, set up by Treasurer Ricki Bowden, where the members will be playing games, interacting with the audience and participating in the community. 

“We partner with the community to perform, so we’re at a lot of different venues,” Wilson said. “We perform in churches, high schools, whoever wants to partner with us.”

Wilson said they’re planning for Defiance Community Players to get back into the world of radio plays. 

“We’re working on one right now and we want it to be a surprise, but the perspective of the play will be different than how it’s usually told,” Wilson said. 

The board includes nine members, with Lisa Langer serving as vice president and China Kwan Clancy as secretary. Wilson said they’re actively looking for new volunteers and community partners.

“We’ll be talking about our upcoming projects and if you want to donate, we’d appreciate that,” Wilson said. “If you can’t donate money, we’re also looking for volunteers.”

For volunteering or donating information, reach out to Travis Wilson at 970-251-0562, or, at defianceplayers@gmail.com.