Curtain Players Remembers Betty Peters

Curtain Players is sad to report our "family member" and volunteer, Betty Peters, has succumbed to cancer.

Betty passed away Sunday afternoon July 16. She was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and was in chemotherapy while recovering from surgery.

Betty and her husband Mark for many years have been familiar faces at the Harlem Road playhouse, recognized for their commitment and support not only of Curtain Players, but also of Otterbein University and many other presenting organizations throughout central Ohio.

Betty for many years handled the Curtain Players box office and reservations line, establishing long-term relationships with patrons and providing the theatre's customer service program with a personal touch and constancy through changes in organization leadership and in technology. For Betty, the theatre community was part of her family, and nothing made her happier than taking care of her family members.

As the community theatre company's archivists, the Peterses were the go-to sources for Curtain Players history and materials. Betty compiled scrap books and binders commemorating past seasons and her favorite shows. For the newer members of our theatre community, Betty and her knowledge of the group's history was an important bridge.

A self-professed lover of words and language, Betty served many Curtain Players productions as a rehearsal assistant, watching the script and providing detailed line notes to guarantee actors were word perfect in their deliveries. Jill Taylor, immediate past president of the organization, noted, "Betty would often say, 'You know I love you' as a preface to a reminder that you still were not word perfect on a line she had pointed out to you several times. For Betty it was an honor she took very seriously -- to help the actors dutifully tell the story with the exact words the playwright wrote, and many of our actors appreciated the gentle nudges and corrections. Her love for the language, the theatre, and the actors was an amazing combination and a huge asset to our organization. As an audience member, her laugh was joyful and infectious. She will be truly missed and forever lovingly remembered."

Although she claimed for years she would never set foot on stage, Betty finally took a turn in front of audiences, playing a small role in the final act of the Curtain Players production of The Skin of Our Teeth in 2016. She loved her turn and was quite careful to get her lines just right.

Betty and Mark Peters have been honored by Curtain Players with its Richard Near Award and Volunteer of the Year Award, as well as recognition by the central Ohio theatre community with the Ohio State University Department of Theatre Joseph F. Scharrer Phantom of the Theatre Award. Betty was a recipient of the Ohio Community Theatre Association Spirit of Community Theatre Award for the Central Region.

Betty was an avid patron of the arts, frequently attending central Ohio stage productions and concerts, and writing about them in her online blog. She loved music, musicals, theatre, poetry. and was often so excited to discuss a production she had recently seen.

Curtain Players is considering several measures to remember Betty and her work as a legacy member of the organization. Per Betty's wishes, there will be no funeral or memorial service. We would be thrilled if you would post your remembrances and stories of Betty on our Facebook page to share with everyone.

Betty's obituary can be viewed on the Schoedinger website.