Tales of An Aching Heart
Curtain Call Club, 1949
Ft. James Chestnut
(Woman Unknown)

A Brief History of
The Curtain Call Club of Woodstown

1934: The Birth of Philanthropy and Support

In 1934, during the challenging times of the Great Depression, a group of dedicated members of the Woodstown-Pilesgrove community founded the Curtain Call Club, and produced their first play to fund a scholarship conferred by the Alumni Association of Woodstown High School. Their mission was to provide financial support to Woodstown students during a difficult economic era, and marked the humble beginnings of an organization driven by a passion for giving back to the community through performing arts.

1949-1964: A Journey from Renewal to Flourishing Theater

In the aftermath of a devastating fire that swept through the Woodstown Opera House, the Curtain Call Club embarked on an ambitious project. Restoration of the Opera House’s auditorium became the focus of the Club's efforts. With unwavering determination, the Curtain Call Club led the renovation of the Opera House, breathing new life into the venue.

By 1949, the Woodstown Opera House stood revitalized as a state-of-the-art performing arts space. The Curtain Call Club transitioned from its roots as a scholarship committee to a dynamic performing arts company. For the next fifteen years, the venue became a vibrant hub for theatrical productions and community events. The Club's commitment to the arts enriched the cultural fabric of Woodstown and left an indelible mark on the town's history.

1964: A Bittersweet Farewell

On May 9, 1964, the Curtain Call Club faced a bittersweet moment. Due to various circumstances, the Woodstown Opera House ceased operations under the Club's management with the final performance of The Lute Song directed by Jay Nixon. The venue, which had flourished for over a decade, closed its curtains, marking the end of an era. However, the legacy and impact of the Curtain Call Club continued to resonate within the community.

2024: A Revival and Renewed Commitment

In 2024, inspired by the rich history and the desire to revive the spirit of the past, the Curtain Call Club of Woodstown reemerged. The Club returned with a renewed commitment to its original mission of supporting the Woodstown High School Drama Club and the local performing arts scene.

The revived Curtain Call Club set forth ambitious goals, including fully funding the Woodstown High School Drama Club's productions by the 2025-2026 academic year, providing supplemental education to the high school and middle school’s theatre department, and preserving the legacy and history of the Woodstown Drama Clubs.

With a blend of nostalgia, passion, and a vision for the future, the Curtain Call Club embarked on a new chapter, embracing its heritage while forging ahead into a vibrant and promising era of community-driven performing arts.

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The Original Curtain Call Club

Names of members of the original Curtain Call Club are listed below. If you know someone who was a member of the original Club but not listed below, please contact Jim Cook (jim.cook@CurtainCallClub.org) so their name may be listed and legacy honored.

Fred Lanting, Katherine Madole, Morris Foye, Susannah Hires, Jeanne Lanting, Robert Gamble, Alvah McGhee, Grace Nixon, Erma Gamble, Kay Case, Emma Howard, Bill Ranson, Barbar Acton, Dr. Gene Paschuk, Knot Smith, Jack Wotton, Ed Doermann, Burma Gaunt, Elberta “Bertie” Eichmann, Emma Point, Helen Hoffman, Bruce Harvey, Elaine Ambler, Jim Prodgen, Coreinne Miller, Evelyn Buzby, Joe Buzby, Sally Darlington, Dick Jacobs, Kathryn Warner, Hilda Galbraith, Elsie Jane Wright, Gertrude Flitcraft, Toni Xhilone, Betty Chestnut, Jay Nixon, Richard Jacobs, Tony Benning, Larry Stout, Cyril Radcliffe, Robert MacFarland, Hope Jacobs, Maurice Voss, Mary Christ, Jack Lake, Shirley Hinkle, Bob Russell, William Boyd, Robin Bonier, Al Mortimer, Lorraine Clark, Janice Edwards, James Michaelson, Rhoda Gamble, Tony Lanting, Ellen McGhee, Bobbi Dee Miller, Loren Miller, Irene Healy, Kathryn Madole, Norman Vanaman, Marie Williams, Charles Knorr, Bill Driscoll, , Geneva Hackett, Bill Venderbeck, Dick Cady, Elizabeth Howland, James Chestnut, William Connell, Mary Driscoll, Jeanette Howland, Ken Grimm, Bob Arnold, Doris Fithian, Rosemary McNamara, Betty Heimbach, Dick Crump, Wilbur Farley, John Hammel, Ruth VanCulen, Mary Louise Bachinger, Bill Muncaster, Betty Lou Koch, Leonard Kline, Sue Edwards, Jack Schlosser, Stu Wright, Ed Drum, Chris Warner, Jody Baetenger, Mary Rayborne, Dorothy Trucksess Toulson, Bruce Henky, Anne Henky, Donna Jean Martin, Blanch McCollough, Horace Christy, Otis Wheeler, Dorothy Plunkett, Edith Davis, Barbara Holmes Johnson, Gladys O’Brein, and Rachel Holeton (President Emeritus).

Learn about members of the original Club

• Rachel Flitcraft Holeton Remsburg (President Emeritus) •

• Elberta Eichmann (Founding Member) •

• Barbara Holmes Johnson (Member) •

• Gladys O’Brien (Member) •

• Burma Gaunt (Assistant Director of Bus Stop, April 1960) •

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Below is an article from the SALEM STANDARD AND JERSEYMAN about the group’s 15th anniversary.

DECEMBER 22, 1949

WOODSTOWN — The Curtain Call Club celebrated the fifteen anniversary of its organization Thursday evening with the opening of its new quarters in the newly-remodeled Woodstown Opera House and high-spot of the evening was the announcement by Mrs. Andree Humphreys, owner of the building, that she planned to leave the theatre to the Club as a memorial to her late husband’s father, E. B. Humphreys, who erected the building in 1885.

“Before a packed house, the play, “The Curse of An Aching Heart” or “Trapped in the Spider’s Web,” reached a new high in the career of the Curtain Call Club. It was performed again Friday and Saturday nights.

“Introduced by Rachel Holeton, Mrs. Humphreys, who was presented with an orchid, told the group: “I am seeing the dreams of Mr. Humphreys come to realization again after ten years of doubt.”

“She told how, about a year ago, representatives from the Club came to see her concerning the leasing of the old Opera House, badly damaged by fire ten years ago. They proposed to remodel the place, paying for it out of receipts from their own productions.

“They have accomplished in less than a year this unbelievable task,” she said, adding that their purpose was “to give Woodstown its own civic theatre, to have a place where everyone could meet and have fun together. Now we see that all we need is your patronage to make it a success,” she declared.

“Then she added: “It is my fond hope to leave this building to the Curtain Call Club as a memorial to the man who built it in 1885, my husband’s father, E. B. Humphreys.”

“Russell Herbst conferred upon Rachel Holeton the title of president emeritus of the Club, pointing out that it was largely due to her efforts that the Club was organized. She, also, was presented with an orchid.

“The Club, he explained, originally was started to raise funds for a scholarship donated by the Alumni Association of Woodstown High School during the depression when funds were low. The first play was given in 1934.” *