One of the rewards for writing the “Did You Know?” local history column for Harrisburg Horizons newspaper from 2006 through 2012 is that people still tell me they miss it since the newspaper ceased publication. Another reward is that I occasionally receive an e-mail from a stranger asking a question or making a comment about one of my local history column topics.
My most recent such communication came from a woman who was looking for information about the Sauline Players and discovered that I had written about them for the newspaper. I shared my two-part series on the acting troupe with her and we corresponded for a couple of days to compare our memories. She recalled seeing them perform at Marion Junior High School and Glenwood High School in McDowell County, North Carolina in the 1950s, and I have fond memories of seeing them perform in the auditorium of Harrisburg High School in the 1960s.
It is gratifying when someone expresses that a newspaper column or short story I wrote has enlightened them or brought them joy. One of the beauties of the internet is that it makes serendipitous connections possible.
Janet's Writing Blog 
Hi, I write for a newspaper column and a reader was asking whatever became of the Sauline Players; can you help?
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Hi Tim,
Thank you for contacting me. Unfortunately, I was unable to determine when the Sauline Players disbanded when I was researching the organization in 2011 for my local history newspaper column. I would be happy to send you the two newspaper articles I wrote about the Sauline Players if you’re interested.
Janet
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That would be great thanks!
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I’ve attached them to an e-mail.
Janet
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Hello, my name is Reggie Ballard from Forest, Va. and I graduated from Mt. Holly High School in 1962 and during my 12 years in the school system I got to see the Sauline Players several times. Always enjoyed them.
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Hi, Reggie. Great to get a comment from you about the Sauline Players. Weren’t they great? Living in Harrisburg in Cabarrus County, the Sauline Players were my introduction to live theater and I loved it! Thank you for reading my blog and for commenting!
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Hi Jane, Could you email me the two articles that you published on the Sauline Players? My elementary years, they came to my school and I was thrilled. That was about 1958.
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Hi Anita, I’ll be glad to send them to you. Weren’t they great? Thanks for reading and following my blog, and thank you for contacting me.
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Hi Jane,
I remember the seeing The Sauline Players a few times when I was in the 5th, 6th and 7th grade when they came to Nebo High School in McDowell County in the late 50s. I moved to Florida in the eighth grade, but still have fond memories at age 70 of those shows . I was telling my husband about them and look them up on Google and ran across your blog. Can you please send me an email with the two columns? Thanks for sharing.
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Hi Sandra, I’ll be glad to send the newspaper columns to you. Thank you so much for finding my blog and contacting me. Thank you for sharing with me your memories of the Sauline Players!
Janet
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Hello Sandra,
In searching for the whereabouts of other actors on the Sauline Players from 1962-63, I found your article.
So happy to see the joy brought to children who saw the shows.
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Hello Ann, I’m glad you happened upon my article. I have wonderful memories of the Sauline Players! Thanks for your comment. Janet
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When I “Googled”, Sauline Players, Your blog appeared and I am thankful! I will continue to search for them because I remember their performances in the late forties and early fifties. Also, I shall follow your blog and be entertained even more. Thank you.
Russell Fleming, Burke County product
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That’s great! I’m glad you stumbled upon my blog, and I hope you’ll enjoy following it. I’m glad my Sauline Players piece brought back some good memories for it — as it did for me. Thank you for your comment, Russell.
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I remember seeing the Sauline Players at Coats high school in Coats North Carolina in the late 60s. I really enjoyed them. I would appreciate any articles you could forward on them.
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Thank you for finding and reading my blog.
If you will go to my website, https://janetmorrisonbooks.com and click on the Contact button, you can then click on my email address. When I get your email, I’ll email you and attach the two newspaper articles I wrote about the Sauline Players for Harrisburg Horizons newspaper. (I hesitate to put my email address here due to spam.) I was disappointed that I couldn’t find more information about the Sauline Players. If not for connecting with actress Joan McCrea, I wouldn’t have had many facts about them. I loved their plays at our school in Harrisburg, NC when I was in the elementary grades in the early 1960s. Except for two or three TV stations and rarely going to a movie, we didn’t have much professional entertainment. They really made an impression on me.
Here’s what I found online about the Sauline Players:
http://remembercliffside.com/oddsends/oddsandends09.html
As hard as it may be to believe, the Sauline Players, the acting troupe that enchanted Cliffside school kids for years with performances of “Hans Brinker & the Silver Skates,” “Tom Sawyer” and other unforgettable productions, was not from New York’s Great White Way. It was based in Belmont, N.C.
From The Cliffside Hi-Lights (the school newspaper) of January 1939:
Sauline Players Visit School
The Sauline Players were cordially accepted to our school Thursday morning when they presented the interesting and entertaining “Anne of Green Gables.”
A large crowd gathered in the auditorium at ten thirty and enjoyed splendid acting by each of the players, especially Uncle Matthew and Moody.
Every year these players come to our school and present a play. The programs are clean and everyone looks forward to their return next time.
Thanks again for contacting me. I look forward to receiving your email and sending you my two articles.
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Hi Jane,
I would love to read your blogs about the Sauline Players, I graduated Salem High School in 1962, and I have thought about them a lot over the years, I absolutely loved them. I always thought they were from NY, never dreamed they were actually from NC. I couldn’t wait for them to come to Salem to put on their plays.
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Hi Rosalita, Thank you so much for your comment and memories of the Sauline Players. Like you, I thought they were from NYC. I didn’t know they were based in NC until I started researching the troupe. If you’ll go to my website, http://www.janetmorrisonbooks.com, click on the “contact” button, and give me your email address, I’ll be happy to email you back with my newspaper articles about the Sauline Players as an attachment. I hesitate to put my email address on here due to the possibility of spam. If you contact me through my website, no one else will see your email address or mine. If you run into any problems, please leave another comment here on my blog and I’ll see what I can work out. I’m thrilled every time someone lets me know one of my blog posts touched them in some way. The Sauline Players made a bigger impact on us than they ever realized.
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Hi, I remember well the Sauline Players from the 1950s coming to Biscoe High School. I thought they were from UNC. We always looked forward to seeing them perform.
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They were great! I’ve been pleased with the response I continue to get from my piece about the Sauline Players. Thank you for sharing a comment!
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Hi, Janet! Your posts and readers comments have brought a flood of delightful memories. I was with the Sauline Players during the last two and final seasons Josef Sailine’s touring Players. I plan on researching your blog and hopefully find the articles you wrote. If you are still interested in learning more about the Sailine’s, I’ll tell you all I know and remember. Thank you for keeping a memorial to Joe ad the Sauline Players. Sandy
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Hi, Janet! Your posts and readers comments have brought a flood of delightful memories. I was with the Sauline Players during the last two and final seasons Josef Sailine’s touring Players. I plan on researching your blog and hopefully find the articles you wrote. If you are still interested in learning more about the Sailine’s, I’ll tell you all I know and remember. Thank you for keeping a memorial to Joe and the Sauline Players. Sandy
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Hi Sandy! I’m so glad to hear from you. My newspaper articles about the Sauline Players aren’t on my website but, if you’ll email me at janet@janetmorrisonbooks.com, I’ll be glad to send them to you via email or I can snail mail copies to you. Whichever you prefer. I’ll be happy for you to tell me anything and everything you know about the Sauline Players. I occasionally hear from someone who asks for my articles because they, too, have such fond memories of the Sauline Players performing at their school or community center. You’ve given me an idea. Maybe after I get additional information from you, I should do a blog post or series of blog posts about the Sauline Players! I look forward to hearing from you! Thank you so much for contacting me.
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I have just seen this blog. I remember that the Sauline Players came to Ellenboro School (Rutherford Co., NC) more than once. I think many in the area enjoyed them. I read most comments and enjoyed them. I may have missed—where can I find the newspaper articles mentioned?
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Thank you, Scott. I’ve heard from several people who remembered seeing the Sauline Players during their school years, and I enjoy hearing their memories of that entertaining group. If you will go to my website, http://janetmorrisonbooks.com and click on the contract button, it will give you an email address for me. Once I have your email address through that secure site, I will attach a copy of my Sauline Players article to an email to you.
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