Drama production entertains while raising funds for library

Oct 21, 2017

Friday night’s dramatic production brought the audience back in time to the 1940s, though the cast of characters looked suspiciously familiar to town personalities today.

The Wareham Library Foundation’s fourth annual play fundraiser, a film noir spoof called The _urloined Letter, had it all: glitzy costumes, scenery changes and local jokes woven in. Peter Teitelbaum played Nick Bullitt, a detective helping Trouble Maecker, played by Mary Bruce, who had the letter P stolen from her.

“I’ve been a victim of a terrible crime,” said Bruce, in character in a long, sequined blue dress.

“Don’t tell me someone made you watch a Selectmen meeting,” Teitelbaum exclaimed.

“No, not quite that bad,” Bruce said.

The play kept the audience of around 100 laughing and applauding, and even the actors were unable to keep a straight face at times. The detective came across a series of characters in his search to solve the case, which included actors Queen Banda, Nicole Calvin, Patrick Lester, Jackson Gillman, Michael Carlozzi and Marcia Hickey.

The actors integrated a series of Wareham-specific references, including an allusion to "running down turkeys on Great Neck Road."

Funds raised Friday night will go to the Wareham Free Library.

“It’s a strong group of people here who support the library,” said Bob Brousseau, former treasurer of the Wareham Library Foundation. He said budget cuts have been hard on the library, resulting in the library losing its state certification three years ago, though Brousseau said he hopes the library will be recertified soon.

The dramatic production is one of the library’s biggest yearly fundraisers, said Wareham Library Foundation President Liz Wiley.

“It’s always a great night,” Wiley said. “This is always a lot of fun and it’s good public awareness for the library.”