Robert Rubin (left), Franco Indomenico (center) and Brad Shepard (right) perform a scene from “The Sunshine Boys.”
Photo credit: Tom Henry
HAMPDEN — This year, the Theatre Guild of Hampden will celebrate its 20th anniversary. When President and Artistic Director Mark Giza and Vice President Rick Rubin founded the theater company in 2005, they wanted the chance to direct and produce shows.
Since then, the guild has done shows such as “My Fair Lady,” “Guys and Dolls,” “The Full Monty,” “The Normal Heart,” “Chicago,” “Picnic,” “Driving Miss Daisy,” and “Barefoot in the Park.” They were the first local theater company to do the musical of “The Producers.”
Over the years, the guild has won many awards from the Massachusetts Critics Circle.
Rubin said, “People from all walks of life come to our shows, and we’ve become a true fixture in the theater community. Even though we’re a small group, we put on great productions, we love what we do, and I can see this theater thriving for the next 20 years and beyond.”
In honor of this milestone, the Theatre Guild of Hampden will be hosting a 20th Anniversary Celebration Event on Sunday, Sept. 14 at the Country Club of Wilbraham at 5 p.m.
“It’s pretty exciting,” said Giza. “We’ll look back at some of the shows, we’ll have some special surprises and wonderful raffles. We’d love to have anyone in our area to come and support us because it’s going to be a great night to celebrate 20 years of the Theatre Guild.”
One of Giza’s fondest memories in the past 20 years was when he directed “The Normal Heart,” a play that dealt with the AIDS/HIV crisis in the early to mid-1980s. He lost a dear friend to AIDS and did the play in his memory. People came from all around to see this production and Giza was very proud of it.
For Rubin, it was when he directed “The Sunshine Boys.” A play written by Neil Simon that gives a sharp, laugh-filled look at grudges, friendship and the joy of performing. “The Sunshine Boys” has been a family favorite of Rubin’s for years. He always dreamed of being part of it either on stage or in the director’s chair. That dream came true when Giza invited him to direct a show for the guild.
“I was honored to take on one of my all-time favorites with such an outstanding cast,” said Rubin. “What made it even more special was having my brother play Al Lewis, a role he had always wanted to do. Sharing that experience together was an unforgettable highlight.”
He went on to say, “The best part is seeing the audience’s faces during a show. Afterward, they often come up to us and say how much they enjoyed it. That excitement spreads when they tell their friends, more people come the following weekend, and the energy just keeps building.”
In the meantime, Rubin will be directing “Lost in Yonkers” which will open in November and Giza will be directing “The Wisdom of Eve” which will open in March of 2026. They want to keep maintaining their goal of excellence.
“I hope the Theatre Guild carries on and I would love it to grow, expand and always do first-class productions,” Giza said. “There’s a lot of good theater in this area and I’m very proud to be a part of that group of theater people that really do good shows.”
For those interested in joining the Theatre Guild of Hampden, visit its website at theatreguildofhampden.org or contact Giza at 413-204-5333. You can also go the website for further details about the 20th anniversary celebration. Tickets are on sale. $50 per person and $375 for reserved tables of eight.
