Old Schoolhouse Players keeping theater arts alive
Theater troop receives Driven by Hope award
The old saying in theater is that, “The show must go on!”
From dramatic plays to musical productions to Christmas shows and family-friendly fare, one theater group in Hickory in Washington County has been putting shows on for nearly 35 years.
The Old Schoolhouse Players is this month’s Driven By Hope Award winner, sponsored by the Washington Auto Mall. Founded in 1992, The Old Schoolhouse Players (OSP) is a community theater group focused on bringing quality theatrical endeavors to the Hickory and Washington County areas.
The Old Schoolhouse Players is a nonprofit 501(c)(3)organization dedicated to keeping the arts alive locally and has put on more than 100 dramatic and musical productions since its founding. OSP will mark its 35th season next year. The theater stages its productions in the Bud Allison Auditorium in the historically preserved Mount Pleasant Township Community Center on Wabash Avenue in Hickory. The fact that it’s named after a schoolhouse is for good reason.
“It really is an old schoolhouse that has been converted into a community center,” says Katie Flanigan, who served as OSP’s public relations director and is a board member. “It’s the Mount Pleasant Community Center, but we utilize the auditorium space and have renovated it over the years to shift it into this really neat multi-level stage that we use for all of our productions.”
Flanigan adds the nice thing about the space is that it is all-season in one location.
“We get to kind of own the space, so we can build everything in-house and be able to rehearse in the space that you’re actually doing the show, which is a challenge for a lot of community theaters in the area.”
Many OSP members have been involved for years, and while Flanigan has been involved with OSP for the past four years, she enjoys the multi-generational aspect of the group and how theater is a terrific family activity.
“OSP is such a hidden gem,” she says. “I grew up in Washington County and didn’t know that it existed until I had a friend who did a show here. I wondered why don’t more people know about OSP?”
The theater has earned the nickname, “Broadway in the country,” and is beloved by the community.
“Usually in more rural areas, you typically don’t have designated spaces to do something like that,” Flanigan notes. “So I think that’s a unique draw for people to be involved. What keeps people involved is that it is multi-generational. We aim to have a diverse season. This season, for example, we have two plays, three musicals and we aim to have at least one family-friendly show. We’ve had kids and their parents and their grandparents involved in shows.”
As for how to get involved, there are several ways that include being on stage or behind the scenes.
“Do they want to do something with their family, or do they want to have the option of being in a play versus a musical? There are some theaters that can do only one of those,” says Flanigan. “If people are interested in being backstage, we have an online form on our website … anything from set painting to being a musician to working box office and general availability. So we use that to reach out to the folks who express that particular interest.”
OSP also has slots for front of house volunteers who serve as ushers, run concessions or conduct 50/50 raffles – all while enjoying seeing and hearing the productions on stage.
Financially, OSP always welcomes patrons, advertisers for their show programs and donations through the Washington County Community Foundation Day of Giving.
The next show in production for the summer will be “James and the Giant Peach,” running from July 31 through Aug. 9.
For more information on OSP and how to volunteer, visit www.osptheatre.com/volunteer and check out the complete OSP season schedule of shows at www.osptheater.com/2026-season.