History:

Founded in 1973, Four County Players is Central Virginia's longest continuously-operating community theater. For more than 35 years, the players have delighted audiences with a full range of theater experiences. Located in the small village of Barboursville, the theater is the cultural hub for the community, serving as both an artistic and educational center. The Players are well known for their masterful musicals, hilarious comedies and magical productions of Shakespeare.

The group grew out of an idea shared by Lillian Morse and Bill Thomas: "Creative arts need to be a part of the area's rural communities." The theater group officially started in January of 1973, when a group of ten people gathered at Morse's home. They pooled their money for start-up costs, and when the take was tallied, the founders had $70 to launch their new enterprise. The first thing they did was set up theater workshops for children at the Gordonsville Recreational Center. This effort produced many new members and two productions: Switched at the Crossroad and Noah's Flood.

Lillian happened to live right next door to the old Barboursville High School auditorium. The vacant schoolhouse had been closed for years and was being used for storage. Through a deal with Orange County, the theater group reopened the building as the Barboursville Community Center, otherwise known as the home of Four County Players. A few months after moving into its new location, Four County Players showcased its talents in its new home with The Stingy Mr. Pennypincher, directed by Bill Thomas. They had not the time to completely fix up the building before the first show, so they built the set over top of an old furnace that had been left on stage. When the actors had to go backstage, they crawled over the furnace.

In 1979, the Players wanted to take on project that would have a positive and enriching effect in the community, and began the Theater Related Employment Experience Program--also known as the TREE Program. Funded by the Governor's Manpower Services Council, TREE enabled Four County Players to hire disadvantaged youths and teach them marketable jobs skills directly related to theater.