The Apple Alley Players began in 1980 as an outgrowth of an artist-in-residence program funded by the West Virginia Arts and Humanities Council and sponsored by Highland Arts Unlimited of Keyser West Virginia. Lisa Higgins, through her residency as a dramatist for Mineral County Schools, became the seed that made us grow. She nurtured a small group of mostly inexperienced individuals though their first play, "The Man Who Came To Dinner"

As the call went out to man a set crew and auditions began, the community responded. Volunteers came forth -both the experienced and the inexperienced including one individual who was a member of the original Keyser Community Theatre Group of years ago. But most were rookies in this amalgamation of men and women, boys and girls, whose ages ranged from six to sixty six. For those new to the theatre, involvement ushered us into a new world ( a world that many of us still cannot purge from our bloodstreams!)

Events such as auditions, casting, rehearsals, set design, set construction, make-up, costumes, props, lighting, dress rehearsals, and the curtain on opening night wer new, and now cherished, experiences. Terms such as blocking, put-in, strike, fresnel lenses, gels, flats, - everything from stage left to stage right , from up-stage to down stage and from platforms to prosceniums was now part of our lives.

We made our director proud - especially that dress rehearsal night when the energy was so intense, the action moved so swiftly, the cues picked up so precisely, that we cut minutes off the show time ( or was it the six pages we skipped?).

We had a large cast, we had a great cast; we had a large crowd, we had a great crowd. The standing-room only crowds of that weekend in June of 1980 at Potomac State College lead us to organize our group (orginally referred to as the Keyser Community Theatre) to plan and produce more plays during Lisa Higgins' residency.

Later during the summer of 1980 a small contingent from our group traveled to Charleston WV for the Community Theatre Festival at the Cultural Center. After attending an afternoon full of seminars and discussions with professionals in directing, producing, and various stagecraft, our group performed acts from Neil Simon's "The Good Doctor." Although our entry was not a prize winner, it received highly favorable comments from the festival adjudicator.

We learned from this experience that we could compete with other theatrical groups from around our state, and this also began our association with state theartrical organizations.

Our next project included three one-act vignettes: "Wooed and Viewed," The Typist," and "Save Me a Place in the Forest Lawn." Featured during this production was a raked stage, with scenery seemingly hanging in mid-air.

It was February of 1981, the weather was bitter cold, the auditorium was frigid, the crowd was small, but a core of theatre people emerged even more dedicated and ambitious. We learned that even limited productions necessitiated all-out efforts.

In the summer of 1981 our first musical was performed at Church McKee Arts Center on the campus of Potomac State College. "The Fantasticks," was fantastic. Imaginative directing on the part of the musical director, set director, choreographers, and director, emphasized the music, dancing, and lighting, and standing room ovations were a nightly event.

In meetings thoughout the next several months, history and tradition were emphasized more and more in our organization as we recalled the early days of theatre in Keyser. Through some research, it was found that traveling actors and musicians would stop in Keyser and perform in the alley behind the old Keyser Music Hall (which now house H&R Block) That Alley, known as Apple Alley, gave the young travelers a chance to perform and therefore, symbolized what the members of the Keyser Community Was striving for. With that in mind, the Keyser Community Theatre became Apple Alley Players Inc. in 1981 as we continued to search for a place of our own, a play of our own.

In answer to the question, "why not a place of our own, a play of our own?, there developed an idea that required two years of effort on the part of Apple Alley and the community. In cooperation with the Mineral County Parks and Recreation Commission, we organized an effort to finance and construct a 600 plus seat out-door amphitheatre at Larenim Park. This stage would be not only for our use for productions, but it would also be for other community purposes. Fund raising efforts, along with our play productions, included bike-a-thons, pancake breakfasts, dance recitals, auctions, and more - as well as donations from corporations, small businesses and individuals.

A matching $10,000 grant was arranged through the Arts and Humanities Division of the West Virginia Department of Culture and History if we could raise $30000 which we did ! .

In 1984, to fulfill a desire for a play to match this amphitheatre a historical drama about a local Civil War legend, John Hanson's McNeill's Rangers was commissioned to Vana Nespor and John Hawkins.

As we have traveled the path toward our own growth from a seed in 1980 to spreading our branches on the path to a play of our own, a place of our own, we grew rapidly from the seedling to a sturdy organization through the talent and energy of community volunteers and the support and cooperation of our community.

Responding to our growing organization and wide-spread reputation, the time had come for us to establish a stronger identiy. Thus in 1987, we changed our name to McNeill's Rangers, Inc.

Our support of the arts has remained enthusiastic and endless. In 1991-1996 we assumed sponsorship of Mineral County's Artist-in-Residence Program with Potomac State College, Mineral Co. Schools and the community.

Over 15 productions were done bringing vast cultural opportunities for students and the community. In 1991the McNeill's Rangers Laurin Swisher Scholarship was established honoring one of Keyser's own founding fathers of community theatre and local supporter of the arts and just plain "SWISH".

As we return in 1997 of our production of "McNeill's Rangers", Jon W. Bauman has been commissioned as new musical composer /director for a new score and the newly formed "Potomac Highlands Symphony Orchestra."

Throughout the changes across the years, our purpose has always remained the same. To provide quality entertainment that reflects and enriches the lifes of our community and its regions.