The Dearly Departed Players will host their annual cemetery tour on Sundays, Oct. 7 and 14. Tours begin promptly at 2 p.m. Photo Credit: Drew Bubser

The Dearly Departed Players will be at Dunmore Cemetery on Sunday, Oct. 7 and 14 with tours beginning promptly at 2 p.m.  Audience members should arrive early to view exhibits. Comfortable walking shoes are suggested.

Admission is free but we participants are being asked to bring a non-perishable food item as the Players are partnering with Feed-a-Friend again this year.

“We partnered with Feed-a-Friend last year and it was extremely successful,” says Julie Esty, a member of the Dearly Departed Players. “ It was wonderful to see so many people streaming through the cemetery gates and filling those food barrels.  Barrels will be at the cemetery gates before the tour. “

This year the tour was the recipient of a small Lackawanna County Arts and Culture grant, thus the Players will incorporate a few people from the past who are buried in other cemeteries throughout the county.  While the tour is mainly Dunmore Cemetery residents — there are two or three from other cemeteries who have very interesting stories to tell.

According to Esty, “Reoccurring themes on the tour this year are some warnings — things we need to be mindful of today.  Those warnings, or life lessons, are regarding both good and bad things.

“The other theme is that this has all happened before.  We think that we are dealing with things that are new, but that’s not the case at all. It’s all happened before. The people from the past made it through things and we will too. Our people from the past will be sharing incidents and experiences with the people of today.”  

Also in the spotlight the Scranton Public Library’s Scranton Reads.  War of the Worlds is the reading selection this year, so a scene has been dedicated to that event.  

The Players also partnered with Scranton Films, a group of young filmmakers.  

“They’ve been with us in the cemetery during rehearsals and they’re doing some fun things in the way of video with the Dearly Departed Players,” says Mrs. Esty That will be represented before the tour.

“The Dearly Departed Players are very excited to be back at it again in the cemetery.  Rehearsals started in July and we’re hardly waiting for October. Last year we were again recipients of Happenings Magazine Happie Award for Best History-Centered Event,” says Julie.

“The crowds — and the distance people are traveling to attend the event — are amazing.  People are joining us from all over the country. Last year we also made the County’s list of Top Five Things to do in the Lackawanna Valley. It’s quite the event. “