Santa Clara’s annual fundraiser for senior center programs is back on stage at the Community Recreation Center on March 6, 7 and 8. Showtime is fun for all ages and is once again an audience participation show.

The Santa Clara tradition, founded by the great Cleo Stuckrath, is now headed by Robin Burdick. This year, Burdick is paying homage to Stuckrath by putting on one of the first melodramas Stuckrath wrote – “The Dastardly Disaster.” It was drafted when the senior center was facing a similar funding situation to the one it currently faces.

“In ’83, it’s kind of a replay of what’s going on now,” said Burdick. “The federal government started pulling back funding for programs. The Senior Center had a nursing program, and so Cleo and one of the employees at the senior center got together. Cleo wrote the play, recruited the actors, directed, produced, got all the acts together, and Showtime was born. That was it, and all the money went to the Parks and Recreation Department in Santa Clara, specifically for the senior center for their nutrition and nursing programs.”

Burdick is a Showtime veteran, recruited by Stuckrath herself. Beverly Schuler, who plays Mrs. Breitheart, was also recruited by Stuckrath in the ’80s. She’s returned every year since.

“First of all, it’s for such a good cause. It’s so much fun to do it and it keeps my brain alive,” said Schuler. “I worked in a hospital with many doctors who all taught me how to be very melodramatic.”

Rita Dietrich, who plays a washerwoman, is another Stuckrath recruit and Showtime veteran. She also recruits the next generation of Showtime cast, including Janae Cubeiro. Cubeiro is the Assistant Director of Showtime and plays Bessie Breitheart.

For her, the joy of performing keeps her coming back every year.

“From a purely selfish perspective, I love being on stage, and there’s not a lot of opportunity to do it,” said Cubeiro. “It’s nice to be able to have that little passion and that scratch that itch, as well as be able to, again, be around these wonderful people and support a great cause for our seniors in our community.”

Santa Clara resident Leah Hokanson is a newer Showtime recruit. She plays a washerwoman and a pirate while her husband, Leland, plays the villain. For her, the audience participation stole her heart.

“It’s so fun. I love it. Audience participation is the best part, especially for the children,” said Hokanson. “They’re told, ‘You get to boo at the villain; you get to yay at the good guy.’ Then you get kids going wild, and I love it.

“We had an introduction for the villains a couple of years ago, and there was one kid that yelled, ‘Boo. Get off the stage. You stink.’ It was so funny. It was great,” she laughed.

Showtime takes the stage on Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 8, at 2 p.m. at the Community Recreation Center at 969 Kiely Blvd. in Santa Clara. Tickets are $5 for kids and $10 for adults. You can buy tickets online at santaclarawomensleague.org/showtime or at the door. There’s also a raffle for prizes, including a Samsung television and a 50-50 raffle.

To volunteer with Showtime, email the Santa Clara Women’s League at scwl@santaclarawomensleague.org.