WARSAW —   The Kosciusko County Historical Society has partnered with the Victory Players to present The Victory, a play that  is set in the historical Victory Hotel and depicts events in Warsaw in 1939. The play will be performed in Warsaw’s Lakeview Middle School auditorium at 7:30 p.m. June 1 and June 2, and 2 p.m. on  June 3. It was written by Warsaw natives Sheryl Wagner Hanna and Patsy Brennan See and features all local actors and technical crew.

“I’ve always been interested in the history of my home town,” said Patsy See, whose mother, Sue, was a member of the Kosciusko Historical Society and whose father, Bob, presented a pictorial program detailing the history of Warsaw to local organizations in his later years. “My father grew up here during the Great Depression, and we were regaled with stories about it. He was fascinated with the trains that ran through Warsaw.”

“My husband Mike’s grandparents, Esther and George Hanna, were cooks at the Victory Hotel in the 1930s when it was a hotel that served railroad employees and travelers,” said Sheryl Hanna. 

Inspired by the stories they heard, the two women decided to write about them. Because they both have theatre experience, writing a play was the natural choice.

Although the characters are fictional, the historical references are real, including the central mystery of the play—the real-life murder of Florence Potter in Warsaw in 1939. 

“There’s something for everyone in this play—comedy, romance and mystery,” said Sheryl.  “And it’s family friendly—it will entertain all ages.” 

Tickets will be on sale at the door at the time of performance. Adults tickets are $10, with children under 12 and seniors $6. Nursing home residents are invited to attend the Sunday matinee at no cost.