Bobcat Players bring back 'Picnic' for 25th anniversary of group
Bobcat Players bring back 'Picnic' for 25th anniversary of group
Beaver County TimesThu, June 18, 2026 at 8:42 AM UTC
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In the summer of 2010, the Bobcat Players Community Theater presented its first production of William Inge's classic, "Picnic." Now, 16 years later, in celebration of the Beaver troupe's 25th anniversary, that same romantic drama is being revisited with a new cast and a reimagined look.
"Picnic" is the story of a small town in rural Kansas, circa 1950s, wherein a young drifter (Daniel Thimons) appears and irrevocably changes the ordinary lives of a small band of women. The play's themes of loneliness, lost love and yearning for an escape from the cultural norms of the mid-century Midwest speak to audiences today with as much relevance as they did decades ago when this Pulitzer Prize winner first appeared on the Broadway stage.
"Picnic" is set in the shared backyard of two women, Helen Potts (Jennifer Bett) and Flo Owens (Jennifer Kopach), who long ago have been disappointed in love and life. Both are trapped by their circumstances. Helen lives with her controlling mother, who had her daughter's marriage annulled the very day it happened. Flo is raising her two daughters alone in hopes that they will not repeat her mistakes and abandon their futures to reckless choices. Both women evoke sympathy for their plights, but it is the daughters who are even more stifled. The beautiful Madge (Mairead Roddy) wants to be recognized as more than a pretty face, and the rebellious Millie (Romey Hogan) lives in her sister's shadow despite her marked intelligence.
Madge, portrayed by Mairead Roddy of Pittsburgh, gets some advice from her mother Flo Owens, portrayed by Jennifer Kopach of Bridgeville, in the Bobcat Players' production of 'Picnic.'
Directing "Picnic" for the second time is longtime Bobcat Patti Ross. She has assembled a stellar cast of veterans and newcomers to bring this poignant tale to life.
Of her cast she stated, "This is a genuine ensemble show, and the 11 actors who comprise that ensemble embody their roles with a delicate balance of humor, pathos, and vulnerability. They've been so intuitive in their understanding of the motives that shape their characters."
Of the script, Ross said, "Picnic is so beautifully written. It is equal measures of darkness and hope. And my hope is that it will stay with people long after the lights go out."
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At the forefront of the acting ensemble is Daniel Thimons as the vagabond Hal Carter in his first appearance on the Bobcat stage. Thimons has real insight into his character and hopes that audiences will share that understanding.
Thimons said, "I hope audiences will see the humanity in the character of Hal Carter. Through his life of being objectified and dismissed, he became a product of his environment. From this pain he has created a desire to be seen and to have a genuine connection in life. Meeting Madge gives Hal a small glimpse into the world of love and mutual understanding. Receiving grace and empathy is something I don't believe either has experienced. I hope audiences can see the necessity of being treated like a human being and apply it to their own daily lives."
Hal Carver, portrayed by Daniel Thimons of Tarentum, makes an impression on all of the town. Mrs. Owens, portrayed by Jennifer Kopach of Bridgeville, remains suspicious in the Bobcat Players' production of 'Picnic.'
Thimons plays opposite another Bobcat newcomer but stage veteran Mairead Roddy. Portraying the lovely Madge, Roddy has this message for audiences: "What I really hope the audience takes away from my portrayal is that Madge is not only grappling with her own sense of agency, but with her own sense of purpose. I came at this character with a feminist angle, and in connecting and building with the cast, I found so much more about her. She's not just representative of a woman trapped by the constraints and societal expectations of the time, but can very well be representative of anyone coming of age."
Rounding out the ensemble of actors are Bobcat Player veterans Hannah Dearborn as Rosemary Sydney, an aging teacher who rents a room from Flo; Eric Vollmer as Howard Bevans, Rosemary's ambivalent suitor; and newcomers Kamran Mian as Alan Seymour, Madge's upper crust boyfriend; Angelica Bondy and Rebecca Schaefer as Irma Kronkite and Christine Schoenwalder, two teachers who work with Rosemary; and Jack Bragg as Bomber, a neighborhood newspaper boy and teenage hot-rodder.
"Picnic" opens at the Ed Schaughency Theater in Beaver Area High School on June 19, and runs June 20, 25, 26 and 27. Curtain time is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available online at bobcatplayers.yapsody.com; on the reservation line at 878-207-0309; in person at the Hostess Shoppe, Third Street, Beaver; or at the door on the nights of performances.
This article originally appeared on Beaver County Times: Beaver Bobcat Players revisit 'Picnic' 16 years later
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