Second Chance Players actors rehearse for their inaugural show Bill W. and Dr. Bob which runs Feb. 16- 25. (Photo via Instagram)
New theater company offers second chances for those in recovery
RICH LOPEZ | Staff writer
rich@dallasvoice.com
A new theater company officially enters the landscape Feb. 25 with its inaugural performance. While a community theater at heart, Second Chance Players is also a safe space. SCP founder and Executive Director Bill Shea leads this group that provides a creative theater outlet for those in recovery.
For its first show, the company is staging Bill W. and Dr. Bob, a play that tells the story of the two men who pioneered Alcoholics Anonymous and their wives who founded Al-Anon.
Exploring the journey of recovery, the show certainly introduces SCP and its mission.
“Our goal is to provide a platform for individuals in recovery to share their stories, heal through artistic expression and break down stigmas surrounding addiction,” Shea said in a press release announcing the show, which he also directs and stars in. “This first production is a testament to the resilience and creativity that arise when individuals are given a second chance.”
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‘Bill W. and Dr. Bob’
Cast
Keith Andrews
Bill Shea
Liza Hameline
Leah Shafer Glaser
Chris Foley
Corinne Christopher
Creative team
Director: Bill Shea
Producer, Costume Designer and Assistant
Director: David Phillips
Musical Director: Kevin Sutton
Stage Manager: Will Hudson
Assistant Stage Manager: Kait Stone
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The show plays at Cox Playhouse in Plano and opens Friday, Feb. 25.
Shea created his own second chance with this company to satisfy his creative flair.
“I’ve been doing theater my entire life and it’s always been in my blood,” he said. “I was also an alcoholic through my teens and my 20s. I was fueled by that when I did shows.”
His sobriety path began in his late 20s. That’s when he left New York and found himself in Dallas with no theater community connections. In short, he let go of the theater.
But then his creative side and his recovery crossed paths.
“The gay recovery community holds a convention called the Big D Roundup on or around Memorial Day weekend, and the entertainment was a musical,” he said. “I got involved with that and even wrote and directed the musical for about 10 years. That really got my creative juices and passions flowing again.”
He also started building his network. It was about four years ago that Shea began to take inventory.
“The amount of talent around us is staggering, and I found a lot of people willing to do the grunt work of community theater,” he said. “Why not do something permanent with that?”
The idea of Second Chance Players began to percolate, but he also wanted the initiative to have more behind it.
“This had to be a space where people can do theater in a supportive, safe space. I thought that was important, and there were a lot of people interested,” he said.
Then the pandemic hit. The idea was on hold for three years. At that time, Shea was getting pent up. This was an idea he was intent on manifesting.
Shea came back to it and was immediately able to build a five-member board and a core team totaling about 10 people. Counting the cast and volunteers, he counts SCP’s numbers at about 20 people total.
Second Chance Players is now a transformative theater group dedicated to providing individuals in recovery with a platform for self-expression, healing and personal growth. Through the art of theater, the organization aims to break down stigmas associated with addiction and empower participants to embrace their second chance at life.
He added that this first show is a natural fit to launch SCP.
“The show has been successful in the past, and it also fulfills our mission,” he said. “This is a good cast and a good story. The play is for all audiences but can really speak to those not just in recovery but those who support recovery.”
Shea, who identifies as gay, added that many of SCP’s creative team identify with the community which adds another layer to the group.
“As addicts, we are good with secrets so it can be a lot like being in the closet,” he said. “Alcoholism and addiction is all about that. For me, so was being gay. There’s this search for acceptance and maybe redemption in the coming out process and certainly in addiction.”
He does note that not all the productions will be so directly tied to addiction as is Bill W. and Dr. Bob. Shea mentions shows like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof or Rent where alcoholism and addiction play into those characters’ stories as possibilities. But he also wants SCP to do its own thing as well.
“First and foremost, we are a theater. We entertain. But there’s lots of material and many shows that feature these issues. We’ll do some original shows, small storefront productions. I think that’s important. We definitely don’t have to be pigeonholed by our mission,” he said.
The response is strong already to SCP’s first production. This opening weekend is almost sold out.
“The word is getting out. I’m just glad that after so long I have the opportunity to do theater again. That fire was lost for a long time, and I’m glad to be able to do it in this way for the recovery community, but also for everyone,” he said.
For tickets, visit SecondChancePlayers.org.
