Freeport Players’ Guild Celebrates 65 Years with Havana Nights at Regency Theatre
Romez Major, Sue Lynne McCrea, Yamease McMinns, Sean Thompson II, Olivia Dorsett, Preston Knowles, Keva Lockhart, Paulette Russell, Christopher Russell
FREEPORT, GRAND BAHAMA, Sept. 16 — The glamour of Havana came alive at the Regency Theatre as the Freeport Players’ Guild (FPG) celebrated 65 years of theatre, community and the arts with its President’s Cocktail Party, aptly themed “Havana Nights.”
More than a celebration, the evening returned to the Guild’s roots, serving as the kickoff to the season, its main membership drive and a fundraising event. It brought together longtime supporters, former FPG presidents, theatre enthusiasts, community leaders and newcomers eager to become part of the Guild’s next chapter.
Founded in 1961, the Freeport Players’ Guild has spent more than six decades nurturing theatre and the performing arts on Grand Bahama. The Guild began with a small group of theatre enthusiasts who staged productions in the old Sea Craft Building before the Regency Theatre was constructed in 1971. Today, the Regency Theatre stands as one of Grand Bahama’s most significant cultural landmarks, a purpose-built performing arts theatre in The Bahamas and the oldest civic organisation in Freeport.
Over the decades, its stage has hosted productions, concerts, dance performances, community events and generations of performers and volunteers. The building has also weathered more than the passage of time, enduring major renovations and the devastation of Hurricanes Frances, Jeanne, Matthew and Dorian. Yet each time, the community and the Guild have found a way to keep the lights on and the curtains open.
For the annual fundraiser, guests enjoyed an evening inspired by Havana’s colour and energy, while reconnecting with the Guild’s past and meeting the people helping shape its future. President Olivia Dorsett said she was especially encouraged by the turnout.
“I was so proud to see so many people return to the Regency, reconnect with the Guild and fill the theatre with that sense of community again,” Dorsett said.
Among those in attendance were past presidents Angela Hackman, Sue Lynne McCrea, Andrea Gottlieb, mother-and-son duo Paulette and Christopher Russell, and Alfred Anderson Lewis, along with current Vice President Preston Knowles, all of whom are lifetime members of the Guild.
Havana Nights also officially opened the 2026–2027 theatrical season and gave guests a glimpse of what lies ahead. Auditions will be announced later this month for a new comedy from the producers of the recent hit Body Count, followed by the family Christmas production Jitney Express.
The season will also feature the Guild’s upcoming spring musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’, scheduled to premiere on the Regency stage in March 2027. The production will star longtime FPG member Tony Lowe of Legit Band, with musical direction by Wilfred Burrows and production by President Olivia Dorsett.
The evening also included a heartfelt In Memoriam tribute honouring members lost through the years, including past Board member and 2025 Betty McConville Award recipient Kenrick Blatch, writer Gea Pierre, and members Sherry Saunders and patron Len Hendley, accompanied by a special preview performance of Any Dream Will Do from the upcoming musical.
The Guild also expressed its gratitude to Bahamian Brewery for its contribution to the evening, as well as the supporters and suppliers who offered generous discounts and concessions that helped make Havana Nights possible. Special thanks were extended to Davina Rutherford of MYB for her support in bringing the event to life.
Treasurer Sean Thompson II added that the financial reality of operating the theatre is always present by sharing, “People see the performances, the lights and the events, but behind all of that are bills that have to be paid every month. As Treasurer, you feel the weight of making sure the theatre can keep operating while also protecting what generations before us worked so hard to build. Membership, ticket sales, rentals, fundraising, sponsorship and community support are not extras. They are what allow us to keep the doors open and continue creating.”
Membership remains one of the Guild's foundations, as a fully volunteer-run facility offering members opportunities to perform, volunteer behind the scenes, support technical and front-of-house operations, and contribute to the wider theatrical and performing arts community. With annual theatre operating costs exceeding $70,000, community support remains essential.
For Dorsett and the 2026 Board of Directors, the anniversary is not simply about looking back. It is about strengthening the Guild, welcoming a new generation of creatives and ensuring that the Regency remains a vibrant home for the performing arts and broader community on Grand Bahama by putting the community in Community Theatre.