History

Hear about Mud Creek's history from the historian yourself:
Dottie Pierdos

By Geistradio.com

Back stage of Mud Creek present day:
presented by Karen Hewitt (Mud Creek 2007-2008 President)

 
By Geistradio.com

For 50 years, political, social and cultural history of the Mud Creek Valley area has evolved from and revolved around the local landmark, THE MUD CREEK BARN, and more specifically, the Mud Creek Players.

Friendships were formed during WWll when gasoline was rationed, and the ladies of the valley found themselves remotely situated from city friends and activities. Lonely and eager to do their bit for the war effort, the gals met weekly to sew bandages and blankets. When the group was asked by the Red Cross to choose a name for their group they chose "Lemon Butters" because that particular day they were having lemon butter sauce over nut bread. (The lemon butter sauce recipe is in the Mud Creek cookbook "Standing Ovations"). After the war when the need for bandages no longer existed, the ladies continued to meet monthly. Occasionally, an evening meeting was planned, which the husbands attended. The evening meetings were a success and a revelation.

It was Sol Blumenthol - who was always fond of theatre and who had been involved in Little Theater in Chicago - who suggested that this crowd would make a fine dramatic group. As quickly as that........the idea blazed into action!
The group decided on a place and time when they could meet (and eat) and read plays aloud for entertainment. The first meeting was held in the home of Arthur (Pooch) and Grace Payne on February 23, 1950, and the nucleus of the group was born. The next meeting was held at Merz and Mary Condit's house. A play reading committee was chosen, and it was decided then that the group would meet at 7:30 every other Thursday and dues would be 50 cents. As the group became more organized, they started taking minutes and sending a newsletter, The Mud Creek Shoosh, edited by Merz Condit and George Caleb Wright.

The play reading committee selected The Late Christopher Bean as the first play. It was staged in a real barn - the Murphy barn on Sargent Road. A great clean-up began along with rehearsal for the grand premiere production to be given in the fall of 1950. They barely had time to throw the cows out before opening night. The play "The Late Christopher Bean" was performed on October 22, 1950. The audience sat on authentic Hoosier "hay-baled" chairs, and the cast used the empty stalls as dressing rooms. The unique thing about this play was that most of the membership was in the play. A different cast was used for each of the three acts. The players, ever civic-minded, donated the proceeds to the Castleton Volunteer Fire Department.
As one theatrical performance followed another with notable success, the group grew. The players broadened the scope of activities to provide something for everyone.

All the while the group, now definitely known as the Mud Creek Players, was looking for a more permanent place. Merz and Mary Condit offered their barn located just west of Sargent Road on 86th Street. Once again, everyone pitched in to make the premises useable as a play house and center of activities. Those activities increased in number and variety. Art classes, square dancing, movies, costume parties, great books group and pitch-ins were always the most popular and still are. The membership continued to grow as the non-professional actors polished their avocation with pride and perserverance.


They continued to present plays in the Condit barn, one or two a year, until that fateful day in July, 1963 when the barn burned on dress rehearsal afternoon. The show must go on, and it did, on schedule in the auditorium of Crestview grade school. However, they knew, even though the Condit barn was their home for so many memorable years, that the property was in imminent danger from the wheels of progress. With that in mind, the group purchased property and made plans for a new barn theatre at the corner of Mud Creek Road and 86th Street.

They worked hard and pulled together to make a success of their new location. The players formed the nucleus of the neighborhood, not only as thespians, but as civic leaders. Banding together, they fought several outside forces. In 1956, a turnpike was proposed from Pendleton Pike north to Chicago with a huge bridge span straddling the Mud Creek Valley. The Players were instrumental in scuttling this dubious plan. In 1962, a satellite airport was proposed for the northwest corner of 86th and Sargent Road. Again, residents rallied and put an end to the proposal.

Those were only warm-ups for what was to become the fight of the half century, when it was revealed that the water company wanted to dam Mud Creek to create another reservoir. Finally, reason and sanity once again prevailed and the project was laid to rest.

Through all the controversies, the Players gave theatrical programs to help raise money to fight the projects. Through all these fifty years, the committees have functioned with meetings, activities, and parties of all kinds.

For several years in the late 60's and early 70's the Mud Creek Players membership went all-out to produce the Red Bud Festival. The public was invited to come to the barn, partake of refreshments and take a driving tour (complete with route map) of the Mud Creek Valley with its thousands of blooming red bud trees. Other attractions were offered - antiques for sale or viewing, and sundry entertainments.

George Caleb Wright summed up this lively bunch of countryside dwellers in the first sentences of the Mud Creek Creed. He said the main requisite for joining the group is a keen interest in and desire to participate in its activities. Corbin Patrick, theatre critic for the Indianapolis Star, said, "Mud Creek Players is a cultural ornament of the country's northeast side."

Mud Creek Players represents far more than the theatre. They are people who are interested in preserving the beautiful valley and who feel that neighborliness and a helping hand have a place in today's life style. The current members believe in the need to express themselves and escape from reality for a while.

Those are the first 50 years of the Mud Creek Players. What will the next 50 years bring?

Historian, Dottie Pierdos