In 1983, there was no live-theater company in Tyrone. During the 1930s and 1940s, a vibrant, critically acclaimed company, The Tyrone Players, called this town home. But the group disbanded when TV became the focus of entertainment. 
   Back to 1983! 
   What can be more persuasive and driven than several mothers who feel a need for their children to have the opportunity to participate in the creative outlet provided by live theater? That’s what happened here! 
   Laurie Cave and Cindy Bennett both wanted to create those opportunities for their children — and themselves. Together they forged a small, untested, but enthusiastic group of people who had a similar desire. 
   The first order of business was to contact as many of the former members of The Tyrone Players as were available and absorb as much information from them as possible. Next, to speak with other community theater companies to find the right track to take. And then, to just begin. 
   With the help of Anna Roseberry, whose mother and uncle had been active participants in The Tyrone Players, and who was a drama coach at a local high school, a play was chosen and auditions set. Anna agreed to direct that first production, The Orphans, and the newly incorporated Tyrone Community Players were on their way. 
   A few things stood in their way; the two biggest were the lack of money and the need for a location to perform. Money was raised in a wide variety of ways, all unusual (hand-painted Easter eggs, for example). As it turned out, the group was well-supported by the community. Finding a location to perform, however, was not as simple to solve! 
   After checking out the facilities in local churches, schools, and storefronts, Laurie and Cindy decided to take a look at the historic theater in the Tyrone YMCA, the place The Tyrone Players had called home. There was an immediate attachment to the 1914 jewel of Baroque architecture, even though she had seen far better days. The deal was done! 
   As soon as electrical power was restored to the Y theater, cleaning done, a little painting attempted, and railings polished, it was time to plan for the actual production. 
   Enter Kelly and Mike Yeaton....  Kelly Yeaton was a professor emeritus of drama at Penn State University and possessed the wealth of thespian knowledge that this fledgling organization needed. His son, Mike, was as versed in technical theater as Kelly was in acting and staging. Between the two of them, they showed a handful of “eager beaver” thespians how to build and paint a set, design a lighting plot, stage a production, and do a million other tiny tasks that make for a successful production. Kelly even went as far as to visit the home of an aspiring costumer, with his handful of “glued-to-him” sidekicks, to watch a fashion show right out of her own closet so as to help find the most appropriate clothing from which to create a costume plot. 
   The Tyrone Community Players premiered in June 1984 to a sold-out audience. The Orphans was the only show produced in that first year. In the second season, they presented four productions (a novice mistake): Blithe Spirit, Annie, Star Spangled Girl, and Something’s Afoot. Three shows were produced in the third season: Wait until Dark, The Music Man, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (a three-show schedule that’s retained to this day). 
   Unfortunately, in September 2004, the Tyrone Community Players lost their home in the YMCA because of the damage cause by “Ivan the Terrible” (a.k.a. Hurricane Ivan). The local YMCA disbanded, and the building that housed the theater was closed as being unsafe. 
   Although the loss of the YMCA theater was a devastating blow, the Tyrone Community Players purchased the building of the former Tyrone-Snyder Library, a red-brick structure built in 1924 that had begun its life as an Elks lodge. Because the building is located across Logan Avenue from their beloved theater, it’s hoped that good vibes won’t have far to travel to find this still-undaunted group of theater enthusiasts. 
   Plans for renovating the building still are in their preliminary stages, and options are being explored for a new performance space. In the meantime, the Tyrone Community Players are producing and performing quality theater in this hometown of Tyrone. 
   The shows produced during the twenty-three seasons of the Tyrone Community Players are:

1984 
The Orphans

1984–85 
Blithe Spirit 
Annie 
Star Spangled Girl 
Somethings Afoot

1986–87 
Wait Until Dark 
The Music Man 
A Midsummer Night’s Dream

1987–88 
The Seven Year Itch 
The Fantastiks 
Twain by the Tail (TCP’s first dinner-theater show)

1988–89 
Dracula 
The Sound of Music 
Robin Hood

1989–90 
God’s Favorite 
Camelot 
Two one-act plays:
The Traveling Sisters and The Day It Rained Forever

1990–91 
Mousetrap 
Hello, Dolly! 
Foxfire

1991–92 
Angel Street 
A Little Night Music 
Fools

1992–93 
Harvey 
Into the Woods 
They Went Thataway

1993–94 
A Christmas Carol 
South Pacific 
Murder at Rutherford House

1994–95 
See How They Run 
Kiss Me Kate 
Greater Tuna

1995–96 
Arsenic and Old Lace 
Gypsy 
The Odd Couple

1996–97 
Death Trap 
Oklahoma! 
An evening of three one-act plays

1997–98 
Nunsense 
My Fair Lady 
They’re Playing Our Song

1998–99 
Bell, Book and Candle 
Fiddler on the Roof 
The Dining Room

1999–2000 
A Christmas Caroled 
Pump Boys and Dinettes 
I Do! I Do!

2000–01 
Nuncrackers 
Forever Plaid 
Southern Fried Murder

2001–02 
Some Enchanted Evening 
Peter Pan 
The Taffetas Reunion

2002–03 
Sherwood 
Steel Magnolias 
Always, Patsy Cline

2003–04 
Cinderella 
“Music, Magic and Memories” — A 20th Anniversary Retrospect 
Pippin 
GI Jukebox

2004–05 
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever 
Annie Get Your Gun 
My Way — A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra

2005–06 
Barefoot in the Park 
Seussical — The Musical 
Meshuggah-Nuns!

2006–07 
A Christmas Caroled 
Crimes of the Heart 
A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline