A lively theater troupe presents local productions in the Sudbury area

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A lively theater troupe invites audiences to laugh with a local twist in the latest two productions of their play, “Cop Shop.”

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The volunteer-run group, Windmill Theatre, has spent the past 30 years bringing fun, locally written plays to the stage. Written by art director Linda Morgan, “Cop Shop” features a cast of six actors in a fun portrayal of a small, understaffed police department.

“The city is full of people constantly littering,” Morgan said. “There is a mayor and an unelected elected official, who is his dog. And then the ditch diggers come in and threaten everyone (the department) because they continue to be ignored.

Meanwhile, one of them also tries to take care of their mother: “She comes to bring her lunch and thinks that all that’s going on is actually a theater troupe practicing their murder mysteries.”

When the Windmill Theater started, it bought and presented established plays. But several years ago, Morgan said the members decided to try to put together productions that hit a little closer to home.

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“They were almost exclusively American,” she said. “So I started writing them myself. I make them local, with local landmarks, local politicians, local issues. I probably wrote 10 plays and even sold some to other theater companies.

In addition to the play, the band brings in local musicians and high school performers to entertain the crowd before the show and during intermission. It also sets up works by local artists.

“I try to get as much local flavor as possible,” she said. “It’s all local people and it’s a lot of fun.”

The group is also run entirely by volunteers. In addition to the regular performers, production crew, and organizers, the members also bring in high school students working on their volunteer hours to help with setup and props.

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“It’s a lovely way for people who maybe don’t meet in regular life to come together and laugh,” Morgan said. “We have people who come in to set and paint the set, decorate it and work behind the scenes. You don’t see them, but they certainly work hard.

Their final two productions of “Cop Shop” will be on Friday, November 25 and Saturday, November 26 at Trinity United Church on Sixth Avenue in Lively. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with curtain at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for $20 for general admission and $15 for children and seniors.

The Local Journalism Initiative is made possible with funding from the federal government.

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Twitter: @mia_rjensen