Stratton Players

A Brief History of Stratton Theatre
By Andrienne Clark

The Grove Street Theatre in Fitchburg buzzed with excitement on the evening of February 17, 1925. A.

Ushers passed out programs and escorted first-nighters (some in evening gowns and formal attire) to their seats. The hum of voices filled the auditorium and the audience settled back in their seats and waited for the curtain to rise. Backstage a flurry of activity masked opening night jitters. Actors and actresses administered quick pats of powder to their grease-painted faces, paused before the m

irror for a final costume check, or nervously whispered their lines. The properties chairman ticked off items from a list in her hand, assuring herself that every prop was ready. In the wings the stage manager waited for the signal to raise the curtain. Then Miss Helen Stratton, the director appeared. Silence fell over the people backstage. Miss Stratton, head of the English Department at Fitchburg High School, was the founder of this fledgling company of thespians. "Places please." She said, her voice breathless with excitement. Quietly actors and actresses filed onto the set. The curtain was about to rise on Act I of Mr. Pim Passes By, a comedy by A. Milne and the first production of the Fitchburg Amateurs' Workshop. Today, the Workshop, now called The Stratton Players, stages plays in its own theatre, The Stratton Playhouse, located at 60 Wallace Avenue in downtown Fitchburg. The Playhouse is the fulfillment of Miss Stratton's cherished dream, but she never saw the theatre which bears her name. On September 15, 1929, she was killed in an automobile accident. The playhouse was donated to the Workshop by another early benefactor, Mrs. Charles T. Crocker. The structure was formed by joining the McMaster Barn to the front portion of a house, with the same dimensions, which was about to be torn down. Members of the Workshop opened their new home with a housewarming on January 14, 1932. For the next seven years they used it as a meeting and rehearsal hall. On January 4, 1939, the building was used as a theatre for the first time. Two one-act plays were presented: The Happy Journey by Thornton Wilder and The Queen! God Bless Her! 1877 from Victoria Regina by Laurence Housman. The history of the Stratton Players is a distinguished one. It is one of the oldest community theaters in the United States and also one of the few which has its own theater. The organization draws its members from all over the area, and has been known for over 60 years as a group which consistently presents quality theater for the enjoyment of the public and the membership. Despite wars and depressions, The Stratton Players has endured. It continues to provide a creative outlet for men and women interested in any aspect of play production, whether it be acting, costuming, set design or construction, publicity, stage management, or tickets.

03/25/2026

Congratulations to the cast of our upcoming, travelling show, The Cliffnotes of Insanity, directed by the amazing Chelsey Patriss!

We will be performing at select locations in the North Central Mass area throughout May. Keep an eye out for locations and dates, coming soon!

If you are interested in hosting a performance at your location, please reach out to [email protected]

03/06/2026

Our Spring Production! We will ALL need laughter after this winter...and tickets available NOW. They make an excellent present as well

01/31/2026

Join us at Smokestack Roasters on Saturday!!!

01/02/2026

All invited!

12/25/2025

With thanks to all our community -- brilliant actors, genius tech people, kind and capable hospitality team, our hosts at Christ Church and especially you, our audience, who close the circle and make the magic of LIVE THEATRE complete. Here's to another 100 years of Stratton Players. Reach out to be on our e-list -- next up, 2 short comedies April 17-25.

12/11/2025

An inside look at John's attempt at performing A Christmas Carol during Stratton Players' Production of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some)

Join us for one (or more) of our 3 closing shows, December 12th-13th at Christ Church in Fitchburg, MA. Tickets on sale at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/every-christmas-story-ever-told

12/10/2025

Meet the Cast and Crew of Stratton Players Production of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some)!

Jen Knight (Stage Manager & Head of Holiday Intel) returns for the sequel, and this time, she has a strategy. A Leominster native and Lifetime Member of Stratton Players, she spent last year’s production drowning in props and panic. For Season Two, she has wisely outsourced the lights and sound to the pros to focus exclusively on Research & Development. She personally gathered the intelligence for the "Christmas In..." sequence and the Die Hard debate, meticulously organizing the note cards for the cast (whether they read them or not). While Sam is technically credited with "Designing the Slides," she would like it known that she provided the data. Her performance plan is simple: deliver the note cards, hand the clicker to Sam, and immediately transition into her true persona: the Elf on the Shelf. She will be watching. She will be judging. And she will be doing it from a safe distance.

Join us December 5th-6th and 12th-13th at Christ Church in Fitchburg, MA. Tickets on sale at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/every-christmas-story-ever-told

12/09/2025

This weekend! Fun for the whole family -- and frankly hilarious!

12/07/2025

The first weekend of "Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some)" is in the books and we are so happy to have audience reactions like this, from it. Our cast and crew put their hearts fully into these shows and we couldn't be more proud. Thank you to everyone who came to see the shows this weekend and we look forward to seeing even more people next weekend. 3 more opportunities to catch this show!

12/05/2025

It's HERE!!! Brilliant Chelsey Patriss and the company are about to launch a FANTASTIC holiday tour de force! Scan the QR code (or just google "Zeffy" and "Stratton Players" to reserve your tix. NO FEE, also available at the door!

11/24/2025

Meet the Cast and Crew of Stratton Players Production of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some)!

Join us December 5th-6th and 12th-13th at Christ Church in Fitchburg, MA. Tickets on sale at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/every-christmas-story-ever-told

11/23/2025

Meet the Cast and Crew of Stratton Players Production of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some)!

Chelsey Patriss, of Westminster, is the fruitcake who first brought this show to Stratton Players one year ago and then convinced the entire original cast to return this year for two full weekends with even more props, more tech, more sugar-fueled nonsense. She might have spiked their eggnog, she might have a lot of dirt on these people, or it might be that this show is just that much fun. She has most recently appeared in The Nerd (Stratton), Sealed for Freshness (New Players) and as the Court Jester for the Enchanted Orchard Renaissance Faire, where she also directed The Cliffnotes of Insanity: The Princess Bride in 30 Minutes or Less. Chelsey sends love to her dogs, who regret being unable to appear as reindeer in this production due to a tendency to eat the props, and to her husband, Joe, and sons, Collin and Leo, who laugh-tested many of the jokes in the show and will vouch for the fact that there is very little acting happening here - this is pretty much what they live with on a daily basis. Please show them some love.

Join us December 5th-6th and 12th-13th at Christ Church in Fitchburg, MA. Tickets on sale at https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/every-christmas-story-ever-told

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(978) 345-6066

Website

http://strattonplayers.com/

Address

Christ Church/Guild Hall, 569 Main Street
Main Street, MA
01420

Stratton Players

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