Rio Rancho Players Open New Venue, Stage Eighth Production This April

After seven years of moving from stage to stage, the Rio Rancho Players have settled into a permanent home: a 90-seat theater inside the Hilltop Plaza Shopping Center at 1640 NM-528 SE, where the troupe will stage its eighth production, "It Happened at the Airport," across eight performances from April 10 through April 26.

Founder, producer and director Mel Sussman called the Hilltop Plaza space, which shares its building with R4Creating, the best venue the group has occupied. "It's probably the most advantageous theater location that we've had thus far," Sussman said. "It gives us the opportunity to build a permanent stage and lighting. (We will) be able to perform quality theater."

The production is a two-one-act program featuring a pair of plays about travelers stranded while waiting for their flight. The full show runs over two hours, including intermission. Sussman described it as broadly accessible: "This is an ensemble performance that allows me to utilize a variety of community theater (cast members). It's a production that appeals to all ages."

The cast is drawn entirely from the local community, something Sussman emphasized as central to the troupe's identity. "This is the class that is made up of all local residents … and I think that's an exciting thing about community theater," he said.

Evening performances begin at 7 p.m. on April 10, 18 and 25. Matinees run at 2 p.m. on April 11, 12, 19, 25 and 26. The April 18 evening performance is designated as a donation-admission night, in which patrons gain entry by donating rather than purchasing a ticket.

General admission is $25. Tickets for seniors, students, military members and educators are $20.

Sussman said the group hopes to fill every seat across all three weekends. "We hope that we're going to fill the theater for all eight performances over the three weekends that we will be performing.