Mill Town Players Marks 10 Years

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

It all started when a geometry teacher at Wren Middle asked a shy eighth grader for help with the artwork for a play.

The student, known schoolwide for his drawing skills, was then convinced to join the cast of the play, which he did with the greatest of reluctance.

Little did that teacher, Jo Hood, know she was planting the seeds for what would one day become one of the most successful local theater companies in the Upstate.

Will Ragland, founder of the Mill Town Players, said the middle school experience changed the course of his life.

“I was a very shy, quiet, introverted kid who could draw,” said Ragland. “And then somebody came along and said: ‘Would you like to become one of these things that your draw?’”

Later as a teacher, he said the experience helped him see how the theater program helped transform the lives of students, their family and the whole school.

“I also saw how it could transform a community as well,” said Ragland. So he set out to bring high-quality productions at low prices to the Upstate, which gave birth to the Mill Town Players.

The non-profit Heritage Players had disbanded, but allowed Ragland to take over the non-profit to form a new theater troupe. Working with Anderson School Dist. 1 to use the old and used Pelzer auditorium. The district offered a 20-year lease at $1 a year.

“We chose the name Mill Town as a tribute to Pelzer and some of the other Upstate areas with the same heritage,” said Ragland.

That was in 2014, and in the years since, 231,339 visitors have attended Mill Town Players shows, and that number is growing.

The future plans for the theater include a $1 million renovation of the auditorium which will include structural improvements, better and more spacious seating, better handicapped access, and the restoration of the original orchestra pit in front of the stage.

The next production, “Bonnie and Clyde,” kicks off Aug. 2. Tickets here.

More on the history and future of the Mill Town Players in this interview with the Anderson Observer.