First Nighters
by Barry Bauer
Seated left to right: James Moore, Joan Davidson, Cynthia Jones, Joan Hopko and Judy Reese.
Standing left to right: Maxine DeYoung, Wayne Hicks, Charles Caudy, Rosalee Ludwick, Henry Dellar, Gene Livingston, Steven Hopko, Loi DeGroot, Dan Bross, Treva Hill and Kaye Fish.
Missing from the picture: Theda Murdock, Roger Kowalski, and Roy Brisendine.
On May 7th and 8th in 1965 a local theatre group called First Nighters put on the play, “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” This was their second production after first organizing. They put on their first play, “See How They Run” on January 21st and 22nd, 1965.
Hila Bross, the librarian at Bement Library at that time, directed the play which was well received by the audience. Hila was a correspondent for the Clinton County Republican News; and she and her husband, Dr. H. Manning Bross, owned the locally famous Salt Box House located on the southwest corner of French Road and US-27, French’s Corners, north of St. Johns.
Thanks to Carole Livingston for this information.