The Levoy is pleased to offer a home to our resident theatre company, The Off Broad Street Players.
A Brief History of how our Resident Theatre Company Came to Be
In 1998, Walter A. Webster and a group of ten dedicated supporters of the arts set out to form a community theatre. With support from the Trinity United Methodist church, located on Fayette Street, just off of Broad Street in Bridgeton, New Jersey, The Off Broad Street Players (OBSP) were born. By 2000, OBSP had found a new venue – the banquet hall at the Seabrook Volunteer Fire Company, where they stayed for the next five years. In the summer of 2002 due to a need for increased seating, OBSP moved its summer musicals from Seabrook to larger venues. First, the Fine and Performing Arts Center at Cumberland County College. Then, in 2003 with the addition of a full professional orchestra, the group moved to Cumberland Regional High School. In 2005, OBSP formed a partnership with the Bridgeton School District, and the Robert L. Sharp Auditorium became their new performance venue. The group had always dreamed of one day having their own theater building, however, the desire to provide an affordable, quality theatre experience to the community was and still is the organization’s first priority. Then, after 10 years of existence, and opportunity arose that might help OBSP achieve their dream. In the spring of 2008, OBSP joined forces with the Levoy Preservation Society to renovate the historic Levoy Theatre. With this renovation completed, OBSP has become the resident theatre company of the Levoy Theatre. After fifteen years of moving from venue to venue, OBSP has finally realized their dream of having a permanent home. What a glorious and exciting opening night it was, when OBSP raised their first curtain on the 100 year old Vaudevillian stage!
