The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse is marking its 50th anniversary and that is cause for much celebration. Its growth and success are certainly a testimony to the effective and dynamic leadership of its current director, Ed Sayles, the work of his staff and that of the many volunteers who have served on the board of directors over the years, as well as that of the countless actors, dancers, musicians, designers and stage crew members who have performed or worked on productions for the past half-century.

It is also a reminder of the embryonic years of this wonderful organization and the fact that its founding resulted principally from the passion for theater held by one individual, Sue Riford. Sue established the Auburn Children#'s Theatre (ACT) to introduce children in the area to the wonders of theater and puppetry. As the former director of theater at Auburn Community College, now Cayuga Community College, I came to know Sue and to appreciate her dedication as the young people, inspired and loving theater as a result of their weekly participation in the activities offered by ACT, went on to study drama and perform in colleges throughout the region, including ACC/CCC. Many of these alums of ACT formed the core of those I directed in productions for almost 20 years.

ACT grew and Sue eventually added a professional summer dinner theater component, first situated at the Springside Inn, to its regular offerings of school performances and ACT Wagon tours. It was in 1971 as she envisioned a more elaborate summer operation that Sue asked if I would consult on the conversion of what had been the Emerson Park merry-go-round building into a theater. She felt that the recent removal and transfer to another site of a beautiful hand-carved carousel from Emerson Park offered an opportunity to put the vacant building to new use. A number of volunteered our services and built the first stage that would eventually become The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse. In those first years, it was very rudimentary; no fly space, hardly any wing space, some basic lighting, certainly no air conditioning, bench seating, and a couple of shared dressing rooms tucked away in the corner. But Sue was the indomitable spirit and force that rallied the troops, raised the money, lobbied the government officials, got the place up and running and sowed the seeds of what today has become the very successful summer theater that this community takes great pride in.

The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse continues to produce a repertoire of summer productions that it can justifiably be proud of. As importantly, it continues to provide its invaluable service of entertaining and inspiring thousands of young people throughout many school districts by bringing the magic and excitement of imaginative and vibrant theater into their lives.

Daniel Labeille

Skaneateles