Merely Players
Encyclopedia
Merely Players was a one man stage show written and performed by Barry Morse
. It examined the lives of a series of actors and others from Elizabethan times up to present day. The title is derived from lines by William Shakespeare
in his play As You Like It
:
The two act drama included several vignettes from the life and career of "mere player" Barry Morse, features over a dozen characters (three of them women), and two musical numbers. Looking for a stage piece that he could perform for benefits and fundraisers, in 1959 Morse debuted Merely Players on stage for the first time in Boston, Massachusetts. He later performed the show in New York
in 1965 (at the height of popularity of his television series The Fugitive
) and in other cities for various causes and concerns, as well as for fundraising for local and repertory theater companies in the United States
and Canada
.
The most recent form of Merely Players coalesced in 1984 when Morse mounted a nationwide tour of Canada to raise both publicity and funds for the Performing Arts Lodges of Canada (PAL); retirement centers for performers (actors, singers, dancers, and others) who are connected to the performing arts. Following the tour, he continued to perform the show throughout North America for the next two decades, between television and film projects, including on a number of occasions to raise both funds and awareness for Parkinson's disease
treatment and research. Morse died in February of 2008.
Other significant productions of Merely Players included Toronto, Ontario in 1993; Portland, Oregon
and Eugene, Oregon
in 1997; Calgary, Alberta in 2000; and Atlanta, Georgia
; Columbus, Ohio
; and Tampa, Florida
in 2002.
The book, Merely Players - The Scripts, was published in 2003. The following year, in 2004, Morse debuted the show in London, England at the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden as a benefit for The Royal Theatrical Fund. A new comprehensive omnibus volume Presenting Barry Morse & Merely Players, edited by Robert E. Wood
and Anthony Wynn
, is being readied for future publication, along with the release of the show on DVD.
Barry Morse
Herbert "Barry" Morse was an Anglo-Canadian actor of stage, screen, and radio best known for his roles in the ABC television series The Fugitive and the British sci-fi drama Space: 1999...
. It examined the lives of a series of actors and others from Elizabethan times up to present day. The title is derived from lines by William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
in his play As You Like It
As You Like It
As You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
:
All the world's a stage,
and all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;
and one man in his time plays many parts.
The two act drama included several vignettes from the life and career of "mere player" Barry Morse, features over a dozen characters (three of them women), and two musical numbers. Looking for a stage piece that he could perform for benefits and fundraisers, in 1959 Morse debuted Merely Players on stage for the first time in Boston, Massachusetts. He later performed the show in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1965 (at the height of popularity of his television series The Fugitive
The Fugitive (TV series)
The Fugitive is an American drama series produced by QM Productions and United Artists Television that aired on ABC from 1963 to 1967. David Janssen stars as Richard Kimble, a doctor from the fictional town of Stafford, Indiana, who is falsely convicted of his wife's murder and given the death...
) and in other cities for various causes and concerns, as well as for fundraising for local and repertory theater companies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
The most recent form of Merely Players coalesced in 1984 when Morse mounted a nationwide tour of Canada to raise both publicity and funds for the Performing Arts Lodges of Canada (PAL); retirement centers for performers (actors, singers, dancers, and others) who are connected to the performing arts. Following the tour, he continued to perform the show throughout North America for the next two decades, between television and film projects, including on a number of occasions to raise both funds and awareness for Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
treatment and research. Morse died in February of 2008.
Other significant productions of Merely Players included Toronto, Ontario in 1993; Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and Eugene, Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
in 1997; Calgary, Alberta in 2000; and Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
; Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
; and Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
in 2002.
The book, Merely Players - The Scripts, was published in 2003. The following year, in 2004, Morse debuted the show in London, England at the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden as a benefit for The Royal Theatrical Fund. A new comprehensive omnibus volume Presenting Barry Morse & Merely Players, edited by Robert E. Wood
Robert E. Wood (painter)
Robert E. Wood is a Canadian fine artist and author. He specializes in representational landscape paintings, which focus on the Rocky Mountains, lakes, rivers and forests of Alberta and British Columbia. Wood's diverse subject matter also includes street scenes, still life and floral subjects,...
and Anthony Wynn
Anthony Wynn
Anthony Wynn is an American author and playwright.-Playwright:Wynn's two-act, two-actor drama Bernard and Bosie: A Most Unlikely Friendship, explores the complex relationship between playwright George Bernard Shaw and poet Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas. It is based on correspondence exchanged...
, is being readied for future publication, along with the release of the show on DVD.