Merry Dingmans Ferry Theater brings Gilbert and Sullivan to Akenac Park

Dingmans Ferry­–The Saturday was rainy Saturday at Akenac Park, but inside the Dingmans Ferry Theater were tea, cookies, sandwiches, and a happy group of about 50 people all involved in theater and the arts.

They were welcomed by Emer Day, founder and president of the Sylvania Gilbert and Sullivan (G&S) Society. This newly formed society is for people who enjoy G&S to sing, participate, and enjoy the operettas of G&S. Emer invited people to volunteer in various ways, making costumes, sets, production, front stage, back stage, and organizing. They plan to have one full operetta a year and chose Pirates of Penzance for 2023 They also want to do a weekend of “abbreviated” Pirates-–a Saturday matinee for kids and their families. There will be a fundraiser this August with various G&S songs.

“The show of interest and support over the past few months has been energizing,” Emer said. “I think it demonstrates the desire in people to experience live music and theater as a community.”

She invited people to mingle and talk about their favorite G &S operas, or come up to the stage and sing a song of their choice with Guy Henderson at the piano to accompany them. The G&S society will have its meetings and rehearsals at the Dingmans Ferry theater.

The Dingmans Ferry Theater group was also in attendance. Dennis Lee, the theater’s artistic director made it clear that while the theater is a not-for- profit 501C3 as is the G&S group, they are two separate enterprises. People refer to the theater as Dennis’ theater because he renovated the theater by himself from top to bottom and even built the stage, but Delaware Township owns the property, including the building, says Krista Predmore, Delaware Township administrator, speaking for the township supervisors.

The Theater group will have a fundraiser at the end of July—a golf outing at Cliff Park with hot dog and burgers. There will also be a Gala at PEEC in the fall. While their summer and fall line-up is not yet set in stone, they will have another Sinatra show. They did one last year with Jim Manfredonia as Sinatra, and it was wildly successful. Manfredonia will return in August­­– this time with a live orchestra and his daughter Angela playing the roles of Liza Minelli and Judy Garland. The theater group will put on “Our Town” again the last two weekends in July, and “the Beetles” will perform at the end of August or beginning of September.

Dennis Lee is the force behind the Theater, and his energy seems boundless. He is also running for re-election as auditor for Delaware Township. Lee served on the Township board, and he also produced and directed documentaries about the history of Dingmans Ferry. He also served on the board of the Black Bear Film Festival. Clearly the members of the Dingmans Ferry Theater Group rally around him and the sense of community he has created and they all enjoy.

Correction: A previous version of this article attributed ownership of the theater building to Dennis Lee, but the Delaware Township supervisors, through Krista Predmore, said that the building is township property.