“We’ve been around so long, we’ve created a family here,” retired teacher Lolly Yacker-Winderbaum said at the UFT Players’ 20th Anniversary Celebration. More than 80 UFT members, retirees, family and friends took part in the festivities on June 1 at union headquarters in Manhattan, catching up with old friends and new, watching a highlight reel of their productions over the years, and enjoying a meal and some impromptu performances. Their productions have names such as “Radio Daze,” “Bite the Bagel,” “What the Dickens” and “Star Wars Holiday.” Leona Ackerman, a retired teacher who belted out a song, said she’s been a member of the UFT Players for the entire 20 years. “It gives me a chance to express myself and show my talents for script writing, improv and stage design.” The UFT Players were founded when Yacker-Winderbaum, an associate chair of the group, had the idea to create a musical based on the experience of teachers and social workers. That original production was called “Chalk Talk,” and the theater group was born. When Yacker-Winderbaum moved upstate, Milton Polsky and Warren Wyss, the committee’s co-chairs, along with Elizabeth Rosen, an associate chair, kept it going and expanding. A newer board member, Ruth Scott, is a recent retiree who studied acting before becoming a science teacher. She says she incorporated acting into her teaching, so when she retired, she missed the creative outlet and turned to the UFT Players. “I like the people, it’s a lot of fun and it keeps you young,” said Scott. “It’s great to be with a group that enjoys the same thing.”

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