Welcome!
Little Town Players is proud to be a part of the fabric of Bedford's vibrant artistic community since its creation in 1975. At that time, twenty or more years had passed since Bedford had enjoyed local community theatre. Karen and Roy Thorpe, then of Bedford, and members or St. John’s Episcopal Church, asked the church to sponsor a play. The church agreed and Karen chose to direct Our Town. The play was performed at the former Bedford Middle School to an enthusiastic and grand response from the community. And with that Little Town Players (LTP) was born!
Little Town Players formed as a 501 (c) 3 with a board of directors. The original board members were: Stanley Butler, President; Nancy N. Johnson, Vice-President; Wally Cox, Treasurer; Barbara G. Deane, Secretary; Carol Byrne-Bolling, Karen C. Cassidy (now Hopkins); and Roberta Wheeler.
In spite of the dedication and commitment of the founders of LTP, it would have been only a dream were it not for the Elks National Home. LTP was informed that there was an unused movie theatre on the grounds of the home. This was the Fred Harper Memorial Theatre, dedicated on May 22, 1938, and it was a gift to the home from Dr. Robert South Burrett of Alexandria, Virginia Lodge #758. With the continuing generosity of the Board of Directors of the Elks National Home and the support of the directors of the home, that vacant movie theatre became the home of Little Town Players and has continued to house us to this day. Our organization has spent countless hours and well over $100,000 converting and updating the theatre into a modern playhouse.
We Remember
Denis F. Deane - Actor, Director, Exceptional Volunteer
On December 13, 2023, we lost Denis F. Deane, a man whom many would call the patriarch of LTP. This man was involved in some capacity with an astounding 140 shows at our theatre, beginning with his stage debut in our 1978 production of South Pacific and ending with directing 12 Angry Men in 2023. He was awarded LTP’s Volunteer of the Year award the first year it was given (1985), along with his friend Stan Butler. The prestigious Lifetime Volunteer Award was bestowed upon him in 2019. Denis was many things to many people—husband, brother, director, coach, teacher, supervisor, storyteller—but most of all, friend. We will be eternally indebted to Denis for the innumerable hours he spent putting his heart and soul into creating what we know as the “magic of the theatre.” Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.