While the Pop Factory Players' original conception started on the back of a napkin at a local tavern, it officially began as a Darlington High School alumni theatre group. “We originally did a show called Is There Life After High School? for a class reunion, and in that show, there were eight students from our class” recalls Jeff Kluesner, Artistic Director for the Pop Factory Players, and 1977 DHS graduate. “Other alumni who came to that show - not just from 1977 - decided it would be fun to do this everyone once in a while.”

What started out as an occasional gig soon turned into regular performances, and ultimately Pop Factory Players was founded. With a board overseeing the organization and eager members to help with every production, the group has been putting on one or two musicals every year since. While many of the group’s members are alumni from Darlington High School, Pop Factory Players has grown to include people from around the regional area. This all-volunteer group is focused on producing quality shows, giving back to the community, and above all “the friendships we make in theater.”