Crane Township Bicentennial Presents: No Compromise!, a Play About the Reservoir War of 1887
Editor’s Note: In the West Bend News newspaper, the Heading mentioned the Sesquicentennial by mistake. It’s the Bicentennial celebration of Crane Township.
Paulding County’s most explosive history lesson returns to the stage this August in No Compromise!, an original, interactive dinner theater written by local historian and author Jane Nice.
Set during the 1887 Reservoir War, this comedic historical play tells the true story of local residents who, frustrated by disease, flooding, and political inaction, took matters into their own hands. Armed with dynamite, pickaxes, and a banner reading No Compromise!, they drained the Six Mile Reservoir in a single night—an act that led to the reservoir’s permanent closure and inspired Paulding County’s official motto.
The performance features a cast of colorful characters—from gold-toothed guards and mosquito-bitten settlers to nosy townsfolk and corrupt officials—and includes audience participation, a mystery to solve, and a full-course dinner served throughout the show.
Performance Dates
August 1 & 2 at 6:30 p.m.
Cecil Firehouse, 9 Duquesne St, Cecil, OH
For more information email cranetwp@yahoo.com or stop by a Tuesday evening rehearsal at the Cecil Firehouse (through July 29) between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Seating is limited.
The true events behind No Compromise! have inspired several past performances, each supporting a different local cause. The original 2018 production raised funds for Paulding’s Merry and Bright Winter Festival. A second performance held that fall at the John Paulding Historical Society Museum featured an audience-led murder mystery and raised funds to support the museum. In 2023, the production returned with an updated script and raised nearly $5,000 for the Antwerp Downtown Mural Project. This year, proceeds will support the Cecil Firehouse.
Now returning to its roots in Crane Township, the site of the original events, No Compromise! offers a memorable way to experience one of Paulding County’s most defining moments.
The play is part of the Crane Township Bicentennial Celebration, taking place Saturday, August 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at New Rochester Park. Festivities include a hog roast by the Crane Township Cecil Volunteer Fire Department, homemade ice cream by Bethel United Methodist Church, and more.
The celebration continues the following weekend with guided nature walks at Forest Woods Nature Preserve on Saturday, August 23, offering a glimpse of what Crane Township’s landscape may have looked like two centuries ago. Tours depart hourly at 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m., and 2:00 p.m., with parking and shuttle service available from Bethel Church.
For updates and event details, visit Crane Township Bicentennial Celebration on Facebook.
