Anderson County Council recognized Will Ragland and the Mill Town Players during their meeting Tuesday. Ragland was presented with a resolution recognizing a new era of live theater which began in Pelzer in 2014 with the launch of Mill Town Players (MTP) with productions being presented in the Historic Pelzer Auditorium.
The resolution states “The inaugural season was announced with a unique mission: to offer quality and affordable theater to the local community,” and “this vision was brought to life by Will Ragland, a local theater educator and artist with a dream to make live theater accessible to new audiences in the Upstate.”
The first production, “Always Patsy Cline” was directed by Ragland and set the stage for MTP’s future success. The show played to packed houses, marking the birth of a theater company that would quickly become a beloved fixture in the community.
The resolution recognized that the Mill Town Players has earned widespread recognition for both its artistic achievements and its positive impact on the community.
In 2016, MTP received the Founders Award from the South Carolina Theater Association. This prestigious award recognizes the individual or organization that has made the most significant contribution to theater in South Carolina.
The resolution states, “Mill Town Players is not just a theater company; it is a home for quality, affordable theater, enriching the cultural fabric of Pelzer and Anderson County”
and the Anderson County Council congratulates Ragland and the entire Mill Town Players family for a decade of outstanding achievements. “Your commitment to excellence, community, and accessibility has created a legacy that will continue to inspire Anderson County for years to come,” it says.
