Back Porch Players go patriotic

The Back Porch Players of Clarendon County will stage their first major performance of 2017 on Friday night at Weldon Auditorium. The eclectic group of singers includes retirees, judges, veterans, ministers and other members of the Clarendon County community who have a passion for singing and performing. President Bobbie Reaves said the group includes more than 20 singers, and that Friday's production is a patriotic celebration of America and a tribute to veterans. She said the singers have been practicing for six months. “We were trying to get members together to do a play but it just didn’t materialize,” she said. “We had a few new singers that had come on board, so we all decided to sing instead, thus came about the Back Porch Singers.” The group was formed 21 years ago by a group of actors who performed the play "Our Town," which was produced with an art grant from the South Carolina Rural Arts Association. Throughout the years, the players have subsisted on donations and other fundraising throughout the community. They have performed everything from musicals to dinner theater to stage plays. Productions have included "Arsenic and Old Lace," "Little Red Riding Hood," "Cheaper by the Dozen," "It's Cool in the Furnace," "Best Christmas Pageant Ever," "The Spring Fling Dinner Theater," "Robin Hood," "South Pacific" and "The Sound of Music," along with a series of shows based on the popular Amelia Bedelia books. Reaves said the group has performed at Weldon, the Union United Methodist Church, the Wyboo Community Center, Clarendon Baptist Church and Scott's Branch High School, among other venues. Last year, the group teamed up with members of the community to help with a Christmas show at Weldon. The Back Porch Players also had two other performances that year, both at the Cypress Center and featuring musical standards and hymns. Friday's show will start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission. Veterans and children younger than 6 may attend at no charge.