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.

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.

Playwright Mary Watters was a much-loved resident of Shepherdstown until she passed away in July 2026. She was an accomplished award-winning playwright and promoter of arts in all forms.

Watters love for theater began in her hometown of Princeton, West Virginia where as a child she staged lavish backyard productions for the community. She studied theater at Concord University near her home and moved to Washington in 1976 to attend Catholic University of America where she earned her Master of Fine Arts in theater. In addition to her work as an educator and professional communicator, Watters created musicals, writing her own songs and composing her own lyrics. Her plays appeared in D.C. at the Kennedy Center, the DC Fringe Festival, Imagination Stage, Active Cultures, and the Charter Theater. She touched on most aspects of production for years at the Folger Theatre. Her work was also presented in Atlanta and New York City.

The Town Run Theater Company and the Shepherdstown Opera House are grateful to have received permission to produce If We Shadows Have Offended from the playwright and her husband Andy Ridenour.

This production is dedicated to, and in remembrance of, Mary Watters.

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.