More Than Just a Pretty Sign

CHEERS!

Years ago when I was first organizing Merely Players Presents, a friend of mine was taking a course in human-technology interaction. She offered to help design a logo —something that would capture not just a look, but the heart of what I envisioned for our theatre.

We started with simple, personal questions.

“What’s your favorite color?” Anyone who knows me knows the answer: purple. Walk into our theatre and you’ll see it everywhere! In fact, when choosing the interior color for our space at 3785 King Avenue, the paint chip entitled "Royal Purple" immediately stood out. It felt right—bold, warm, and just a little bit regal. And it turns out, audiences love it just as much as I do.

Then came a deeper question: What feeling do you want your theatre to express? For me, the answer was immediate—joy. Celebration. That sense of energy and release you feel when something special is happening. I kept coming back to the idea of champagne being uncorked and how I wanted folks to feel that they could release their creativity in unique ways at MPP. As my friend began experimenting with ideas, she showed me an image—a splash bursting from a champagne bottle. I knew instantly we were on the right track.

But the more I looked at it, the more I saw something else. The splash didn’t just feel celebratory—it reminded me of people. Arms raised; bodies in motion; expressive and alive.

I don’t remember every detail of those early conversations, but I remember what mattered: the colors, the feeling, the symbolism. Purple for creativity and a touch of royalty. Champagne for celebration. Movement for expression and community. And from all of that, our logo was born.

Over the years, I’ve wondered if our logo should evolve as we grew. But honestly, I’ve never found a better way to visually capture who we strive to be: a place of community, creativity, and celebration. Now, our logo sits proudly on the front of our building at 3785 King Avenue—King being a fitting place, after all, for a little bit of royalty.

And every time I see it, I’m reminded of where we started—and the joyful spirit we’re still uncorking every time the lights go up. - Joanie