Waterford Players provide performing arts opportunities in southern Tuscarawas County

• The Waterford Players, formed in December, is providing arts programming for the southern part of Tuscarawas County.
• It has already sponsored a musical program on St. Patrick's Day and line dancing and salsa classes.

UHRICHSVILLE ‒ The Waterford Players grew out of a desire to meet the needs of the performing arts community in southern Tuscarawas County, where there are fewer opportunities than in the Dover-New Philadelphia area.

"I have five kids, and trying to find performing arts opportunities for them has been difficult where we live," said the organization's president, Laura Gray, who lives on a farm near Gilmore. She said she lives about 40 minutes from New Philadelphia.

"So, there's obviously a need that's not being met for the southern part of the county, and especially for children and teenagers. So, it kind of grew out of that ‒ seeing the need and knowing that I have friends and family and myself that have the skills to help meet the need."

More entertainment news:Broadway shows, musicians, comedians highlight upcoming season at Performing Arts Center

Hymn sings and line dancing

The non-profit group, formed in December, has already sponsored several events, including a Green Music program in March at the First Presbyterian Church in Uhrichsville. That program, held on St. Patrick's Day weekend, featured many Irish tunes, performed by 25 individuals. The organization has also given line dancing and salsa lessons at the Uhrichsville Eagles Lodge and held community worship nights and hymn sings at several locations.

Waterford is the former name of Uhrichsville.

The Waterford Players currently have no home base.

"Right now, we're moving from place to place," Gray said. "We've utilized a lot of churches and the Eagles. We try to define the needs of the event and reach out to a building that would be able to meet the needs of the event. It lets us stay flexible, because you don't get stagnant. I'm hoping it helps some of the churches get some attention."

Other members of the Waterford Players board are Shana Angel, vice president; Malarie Chineal, secretary; Danielle McMillen, treasurer; and Michelle Gossett and Cassie Brown, trustees.

Musical background

Gray comes from a musical family. Her mother, Sarah Fouts, taught music education in Claymont City Schools for 35 years. She's also the church organist at the Presbyterian church in Uhrichsville and has participated in Waterford Players events.

"I grew up dancing to a lot of Liszt and Rachmaninoff, the ones that are really hard to play," Gray recalled. "She always insisted I take piano lessons, but I hated to practice. When I was 9 at Immaculate Conception School in Dennison, my piano teacher (Rosemary Zorzi) just kind of gave up and asked me to sing something. She suddenly realized that I could sing really well. She kind of led my musical endeavors in that direction since I refused to work on the piano."

Gray went on to sing solos and direct the choir at First Christian Church in Uhrichsville, where her family was then attending, and participate in musicals and choir groups at Indian Valley High School. Though she started out studying vocal performance at the College of Wooster, she ended up getting a degree in mechanical engineering.

Upcoming events

The Waterford Players have many programs planned for the coming months.

• The group is planning a a teen talent event at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Community Center of Southern Tuscarawas, 216 W. Main St., Port Washington.
• It sponsors a monthly jam session from 5 to 8 p.m. on the first Friday in June, July and August at Fry's Valley Moravian Church, 594 Frys Valley Road SW, Gnadenhutten. People get together, make music and cook hot dogs over an open fire. Gray described it as "a laid-back community event."
• The organization will be holding a music theory workshop from 2 to 5 p.m. July 20, designed to provide basic sight reading to help grow the skills of local musicians. The following day, July 21, it is sponsoring an audition workshop, also from 2 to 5 p.m. This event will feature a roundtable of four local experienced actors who will discuss how to audition. Both events will be held at the Community Center of Southern Tuscarawas.
• A fundraiser is planned for Aug. 10 at the Community Center of Southern Tuscarawas. It will have an ice cream social theme, and '50s music. No time for the event has been set yet.

For more information on the Waterford Players and its events, check out the group's Facebook page.

Reach Jon at 330-364-8415 or at jon.baker@timesreporter.com.