If We Shadows Have Offended - A Play Presented by the Town Run Theater Company at the Shepherdstown Opera House

“If We Shadows Have Offended"

A play by Mary Watters

Presented by the Town Run Theater Company

Artistic Director: Joe Yates

In 1937 Washington, D.C., six vaudeville veterans find themselves out of work as America moves on from vaudeville while the Great Depression still grips the nation.

Desperate for a paycheck—and determined to keep performing—they join the Federal Theatre Project.

Their first assignment? Assist a New York director staging Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream—a world as foreign to them as a trip to the moon. Just as they begin to embrace the challenge, the federal government slashes the budget, shuts down the production, and sends them packing. Why? It needs a Communist to vilify. And, as everyone knows, the theater is full of… Communists.

Written by Shepherdstown's own Mary Watters, If We Shadows Have Offended is a heartfelt and hilarious celebration of resilience, friendship, and the enduring power of live theater—filled with razor-sharp wit, physical comedy, and maybe even a little tap dancing.

General Admission. Siutable for all ages.

Advance purchase recommended to ensure availability.

Pay-What-You-Can Performance is on Friday, June 18.

Regular Ticket Prices (including taxes and ticketing fees):

Advance Purchase: $23.30 ($20 ticket plus 7% sales tax & ticketing fees)

At Door: $25

Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

This play is part of the Town Run Theater Company's 2026-27 season and is made possible by ticket purchases, donated space and labor from the Shepherdstown Opera House, business sponsorships, and individual donations.

Want to support the Town Run Theater Company? The Shepherdstown Opera House's community theater, film, and lecture programs operate on a non-profit basis under the fiscal sponsorship of Fractured Atlas, a national arts support 501c3 organization. Your donation is tax-deductible and can be made here: https://fundraising.fracturedatlas.org/shepherdstown-opera-house-community-theater-film-lecture-programs

The historic Shepherdstown Opera House is a cozy theater that seats a maximum of 100 patrons— advance ticket purchase encouraged. Beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks for sale during the performance (ID required for beer & wine purchase, no outside food or drinks please). Lobby, theater & restroom are wheelchair accessible.