Presented by the Town Run Theater Company

• Weekend 1: Fri, Jun 18 at 7:00 pm, Sat, Jun 19 at 7:00 pm, Sun, Jun 20 at 3:00 pm
• Weekend 2: Fri, Jun 25 at 7:00 pm, Sat, Jun 26 at 7:00 pm, Sun, Jun 27 at 3:00 pm

“If We Shadows Have Offended”

A play by Mary Watters

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.

Audience: All ages

General Admission. Advance purchase strongly recommended. Pay-What-You-Can Performance: Friday, June 18.

Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

The historic Shepherdstown Opera House is a cozy 99-seat vaudeville-era theater — we encourage patrons to purchase tickets in advance. Online sales end 1 hour before showtime. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime and our shows start promptly. Popcorn, candy, soft drinks, beer & wine available for purchase (no outside food or drinks please). Lobby, theater & restroom are wheelchair accessible.

Support Community Theater

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.