Licking County Community Theater Draws Enthusiastic Audiences
arts, children of eden, culture, dr. tom hall, licking county, licking county players, matthew trombetta, weathervane playhouse,
Ohio may be far from the bright lights of Broadway‚ but theater-lovers here can enjoy top-notch musicals‚ dramas and comedies live on stage nearly year-round.
Licking County is home to two thriving theater companies‚ the Licking County Players and the Weathervane Playhouse‚ which between them have entertained audiences for decades and built a solid following of fans.
The Licking County Players‚ a community theater group‚ is housed in the former home of the Salvation Army on Newark’s Main Street – also a former funeral home. Undaunted by the rumored presence of ghosts‚ the amateur troupe presents a six-show season of musicals and straight plays in a season that runs from late October through June. This 2006-07 season included such popular offerings as Jekyll & Hyde‚ House for Sale‚ The Mousetrap‚ Something’s Afoot‚ The Nerd‚ On Golden Pond and a children’s theater production of Hansel and Gretel.
In summer‚ Ohio’s longest-running summer stock company‚ the Weathervane Playhouse‚ launches the season at its open-air theater on the north end of Newark.
Renowned in theater circles around the country as a prime training ground for young actors and other theater professionals‚ the Weathervane has been packing them in since it was founded in a barn nearly 40 years ago.
“Part of our success is that we have developed a devoted following over the years‚” says Dr. Tom Hall‚ chairman of an all-volunteer board that works year-round to support the theater. “We sell more than 1‚000 season tickets each year for a theater that seats just 300. People hold on to their tickets for years‚ almost like people with pro football tickets. They want to pass them on to their kids.”
Each summer‚ local volunteers are joined by artistic managing director Matthew Trombetta and a resident professional company of actors and other professionals. Most‚ says Hall‚ are from New York‚ seeking to build their professional resumes. Many go on to bright theatrical careers around the country‚ from Las Vegas productions of Cirque du Soleil to Disney World to Broadway.
The Weathervane season includes musical and straight plays – in 2007 South Pacific‚ The Musical Comedy of Murders of 1940‚ Ragtime‚ Songs for a New World and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
“We don’t do really edgy things‚” jokes Hall. “You won’t see Avenue Q here anytime soon. But we like to do a blend of old familiar things with newer things‚ because we have a culturally sophisticated audience.”
Theater education is an equally strong part of the troupe’s mission. The Weathervane boasts a special children’s theater building and hosts summer workshops for children and teenagers.
Now in the midst of a major capital campaign‚ Weathervane hopes to enclose‚ air-condition and update its aging facility to help ensure its faithful patrons‚ and new ones‚ keep on coming.
“Our mission is to present high-quality theater to the citizens of Licking County‚” Hall says. “It’s a labor of love.”
Story by Laura Hill
Photo by Wally Spence
