New president of Oswego Players wears many hats
By Stefan Yablonski
All the world’s a stage — and Tammy Thompson isn’t done playing her part just yet.
The vice president in charge of administration for the Oswego Players in 2024 is now president of the local theater troupe.
“I am currently the president for Oswego Players, Oswego County Autism Task Force and Oswego County Youth Bureau. I am very involved with the Zonta Club of Oswego where I am a past president,” she said. “So yes, I am very busy.”
The Oswego Players, Inc. is one of the oldest continuously operating community theater organizations in the country.
“We have about 70 members. We are all volunteers,” she said.
Born in Dubuque, Iowa, she moved to Brookings, South Dakota in 1972 when she was 7.
“My parents Hugh and Gen Ackman were both educators and moved to Brookings for jobs. My dad was an elementary school principal and my mom held a number of administrative positions. She was head of the Title One programs for the district as well as a reading consultant and taught English as a second language,” she said. “My cousin, Randy, and I always talked about becoming vets. Only one of us actually became a vet and it wasn’t me.”
Thompson graduated from South Dakota State University with a degree in communications with an emphasis on theater.
In 1986, she moved to Oswego. “That is another long story for another day,” she said.
“My first job was at the college day care center where I worked for a year. I then was hired as a recreation specialist at ARC of Oswego County in 1987,” she said.
In 1989 she and her husband, Tim, moved to Hamburg in Western New York, where he attended school to become a dental lab technician. They moved back to Oswego in 1991 and he opened his own dental laboratory where he made dentures and orthodontic appliances.
“I was hired in November of 1991 through a contract with Oswego County ARC, but was housed at the Oswego County Health Department where I developed the early intervention program for the county. That was for children from birth through the age of 2. It was not a coordinated effort at the time. Early intervention became a mandated program in New York state, so my position became a county position in July of 1993 and we developed the program for the county,” she explained. “In 1999 I became the director of program for children with special needs for the county.”
Her husband is retired. Her oldest child, Shiloh, lives in Syracuse with their spouse Sage. They work for Advocates Inc as direct support professional. Another son, Adam, works at Novelis.
“We have two rescue dogs and a rescue cat. Our dogs are Munchkin and Luna and our cat is Cannoli. Munchkin is a Shih-Tzu that is about 10 pounds and Luna is about 25 pounds. She is a cross between a Chihuahua and other mutts. All of our animals are rescues. The cat, Cannoli, and the little Shih-Tzu don’t like to admit it but they actually like each other. They like to sleep with each other.”
Retired but not slowing down
“I retired in 2024, just last year. Probably, now, I am busier than when I was working — if you ask my husband. If it doesn’t go on this calendar,” she said holding up her phone, “I don’t know where I am going. [The calendar on my phone] is the only thing that keeps me going in the right place.
“My favorite food is seafood. My hobby would be acting — that is my primary hobby. I really like Melissa McCarthy!” she added. “I do, now that I’m retired, I like to read books. I can’t do that when I am doing a show, it is too many words … too many words that I have got to memorize. I did take a part-time job at Bame’s just so I could stay social and it keeps me physical too.
She and her husband travel. They plan an annual trip every year.
“I do a lot of day trips,” she said. “The theater takes up a good portion of my time, especially now that I am president. The ramp outside, you saw how nice it was — no snow on it — that was a couple days of digging out (after the heavy snowstorms in February). I also have season tickets to Broadway in Syracuse.”
She said she tends to play the wacky characters.
“I am definitely an extrovert. The character I played in “A Murder is Announced,” the character actually dies in the show and I heard ‘oh, no’s’ during that scene.”
Martha in “Arsenic and Old Lace” is one of her favorite parts.
“Arsenic and Old Lace; it was fun to recreate that role. I had also played it in college. It was fun to bring that character back after all these years,” she said.
Going to retire or slow down?
“Nope,” she quickly replied. “It’s not in my MO. I’m not one to just sit around home, nope. If there isn’t anything on my calendar I am finding something, I am doing something. My husband retired about seven or eight years ago. He converted his lab into his man cave basically. He does graphic arts and stuff. So he has something that keeps him going. He is a homebody; we are definitely opposites. He is a homebody and I have got to be on the go. But every once in while he does go on the go with me.”
They have been married for 35 years.
“Our anniversary is coming up in November. We got married in Orchard Park — Buffalo Bills territory,” she said. “It was actually kind of a beautiful day the day that we got married. It wasn’t horribly cold, it really was quite nice.
“I never really thought about [what I’d like to stage here]. I’m interested in affording people that community theater experience, open and welcoming. Just trying to bring some happiness, a little entertainment in people’s lives.”
Oswego Players
Founded in 1938, The Oswego Players, Inc., was formed by a group of Oswego residents interested in presenting theater productions in Oswego. The organization staged its productions in Robinson Auditorium in the old high school and other venues where a play could be staged.
In 1963 the group obtained a lease for Building No. 32 in the Fort Ontario Park complex that would ultimately house the Oswego Civic Arts Center.
On March 20, 1964, The Oswego Players was granted a Provisional Charter by the New York State Board of Regents for the purposes: “to advance cultural activities of the community through theatrical productions and through stimulating interest and participation in activities relating to the drama; to render assistance, advice and service, to other community organizations and individuals in drama-oriented projects; and to sponsor an education program of children’s theater including periods of instruction for children and presentations by and for children.”
Over the years the Players continued to fulfill its charter obligations and on April 25, 1969, was granted an absolute charter by the Board of Regents.
Now operating out of the Frances Marion Brown Theater in the Civic Arts Center, they stage six major productions a year — all with volunteer participation and no paid staff. The theater seats 100 audience members in a warm and intimate setting.
The Players hold theater classes for youth in the area and each year awards two scholarships to graduating high school seniors from Oswego County pursuing higher education in the broad fields of theater and the fine arts.
The group is a founding member of the Theater Association of New York State and has been awarded its prestigious Mary Eva Duthie Award as the Most Outstanding Community Theater in the state.
Lifelines
Name: Tammy Thompson
Position: President of Oswego Players, Oswego County Autism Task Force and Oswego County Youth Bureau.
Birth Date: Feb. 21, 1964
Birth Place: Dubuque, Iowa
Residence: Oswego
Education: Bachelor of Arts degree in communications with an emphasis in theater, South Dakota State University
Affiliations: Past president of Zonta Club of Oswego, chairwoman of the Leadership Oswego County Advisory Council
Personal: Married to Tim Thompson; children Shiloh Roden and Adam Thompson
Hobbies: Reading, acting and all things theater, walking, traveling and anything to do with a body
of water.
