MANKATO — For three decades Gretchen Etzell has poured her heart and soul into Merely Players, the community theater she helped found and nurtured into a community institution.

That’s 30 years of casting calls, long rehearsals and giddy opening nights. Thirty years of coaxing volunteers into the wings, actors onto the stage and audiences into the seats. Thirty years of green room friendships and memories and fun.

But Etzell’s extended run as artistic director will soon come to an end. She announced her resignation effective Jan. 1, 2012, bringing the curtain down on what has been a long and extraordinary run.

“I’m 72 and I’m still jumping up and down on the stage and saying, ‘Move, move, move,’” Etzell said with a laugh. “I’m thankful that I can. But now is the time, while I still have energy left, to do something else.”

As she hands off the reins to the next generation of theater lovers and leaders, Etzell has no regrets.

“I feel very proud of our accomplishments over the last 30 years,” Etzell said. “I’m proud of the growth we’ve had and I’m proud of the niche we filled in the community.” 

History in theater

Etzell was an English teacher and play director at West High School when she was approached by Mankato’s Community Education program.

“They were looking for something for kids to do in the summer. They asked if I’d teach a class on theater,” Etzell said. “I told them I didn’t want to teach but I’d be happy to direct a play.”

Etzell chose the musical “Oklahoma” and put out a community casting call. That’s when she realized she had something special on her hands.

“Over 170 people auditioned. There was a huge appetite for theater in the community,” Stephanie Stoffel said.

Stoffel joined Etzell and technical director Owen Schmidt to produce “Oklahoma.” The show was a hit, so they staged another and another. Eventually the trio realized they’d built something that could last. They named their organization Merely Players after a line from Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.”

Merely Players continued to grow, becoming a non-profit, creating an advisory board and moving to its current home at the Lincoln Community Center.

Through all the changes, Etzell has remained at the helm, leading the theater through 30 seasons and almost 100 productions.

“Gretchen is an amazing artistic director,” Stoffel said. “She has such incredible vision and she creates an atmosphere when she directs that is so fun and challenging. It really gets people excited.”

A creative outlet

Merely Players estimates that it has served more than 30,000 volunteers and patrons over the last three decades.

“It spans generations. There are whole families that get involved,” Katherine Hughes said. “It’s wonderful.”

Hughes frequently volunteers at Merely Players, both on stage and off. She discovered the group through her mother, Eva Hughes.

“My mother started with Merely Players when she was in her late 60s. She was in the Salvation Army Band in ‘Guys and Dolls,’” Hughes said. “The last time she had done a play was when she was in high school in the 1920s.”

Etzell has delighted in introducing new people to the theatrical art.

“This is for the people who’d say, ‘I always wanted to do this, but … I can’t sing/paint/act/build,’” Etzell said. “We’re here to teach you. You don’t have to know how to act. If you like to sing, if you like to build, if you like to paint, come on down. You’re going to make a lot of friends.”

Though Etzell has always welcomed novices with open arms, she doesn’t settle for anything less than the best that they can give.

“Gretchen always pushes to do exceptional theater,” Stoffel said. “I think that’s the reason Merely Players has survived for 30 years.”

The next chapter

Following her final production, “Golden Guys & Gals: Holiday Notes” which opens Friday, Etzell’s unsure just where the next act in her life will take her. She hopes it will include travel, volunteering, time for family and friends and … theater.

“It will free up a lot of my time to pursue other creative passions,” Etzell said. “There are so many creative opportunities in this community for directing, writing and producing. It’s a very ripe time for me.”

As for Merely Players, the theater’s board recently announced a search for an artistic director. Etzell hopes the organization will enjoy another 30 years of success.

“The need never disappears. There will always be new people out there that need the experience,” Etzell said. “Hopefully Merely Players will always be there for all those people who say, ‘I always wanted to do this, but … .”