On Saturday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m., Trinity Players will celebrate its 70th anniversary with a special evening featuring 25 musical theatre favorites pulled from decades of past productions. The performance will be held at Harbaugh Hall, 30 W. North St., Waynesboro (rear/Schier’s Way alley entrance).
Tickets are $20 for general admission and $10 for children ages 10 and under.
Trinity United Church of Christ considers itself a “church of firsts” and “extravagant welcome,” with Waynesboro’s parish ushering congregants in with vibrant rainbow doors declaring, “our doors are open to all.” It is no surprise then that Trinity UCC is the home to numerous local outreach initiatives, including a blessing box, the Boy Scouts, a nursery school and a community theatre organization.
Trinity Players was founded in 1956 by the late Rev. H. Clayton Moyer, who held a deep love for God, his community and the stage. Upon graduating from Franklin and Marshall College, Moyer took a two-month leave to determine whether he would pursue ministry or theatre.
His faith prevailed, and he went on to seminary school, but his enduring passion for the arts undoubtedly guided his decision to champion decades of productions at Trinity Players. This included his original production, “15 Days Under the Confederate Flag,” a collection of both true and fictionalized accounts of Civil War life in Waynesboro.
Following the dissolution of the Waynesboro Little Theatre, Trinity Players inherited its costume collection. Under the fastidious and formidable oversight of Kay Yaukey, that collection has quadrupled in size. Today, Trinity Players provides an invaluable costume rental service to dozens of school and community theatre shows across the tri-state each year.
Today, Trinity Players defines its mission as “part outreach, part education and part cultural opportunity” to address “universal themes of humanity.” Trinity Players continues to thrive under new leadership, with recent productions led by members of Trinity UCC.
This Saturday’s cabaret is no exception, co-directed by the mother-daughter duo of Deb Hollen and Gillian Austin (with husbands Mark and Garrett running sound and performing, respectively). Trinity UCC’s current clergy proudly carries on Moyer’s legacy; Pastor Dani Neff will lead a “Godspell” number, her husband Alan will serve as the evening’s emcee, and their children Samuel, Liam and Grace will each take turns in the spotlight.
Many of the showcase’s 27 performers began acting with Trinity Players when they were children. Hollen, who made her debut at just 15 years old, said, “Since then, the group has been an integral part of my life. We have mounted extraordinary dramatic and musical productions, but for me, it has always been about the lasting relationships, and the compassionate community that has been and remains a hallmark of this 70-year-old organization.”
For updates on future productions, readers may visit their website (tuccwboro.com/trinity-players) or follow their Facebook page.
Full Cast & Crew
Directors: Gillian Austin & Deb Hollen
Keyboardists: Zakary Reynolds & Justin Streletz
Emcee: Alan Neff
Lights: Nick Mowen
Sound: Mark Hollen
Cast: Kristen Adams, Garrett Austin, Gillian Austin, Fara Biesecker, Quinn Buckwalter, Meghan Davis, Emily Dickey, Eve Dickey, Nora Dickey, Keric Ellis, Evan Forberger, Careth Herb, Deb Hollen, Dani Kardisco, Jerry Kowallis, Claire Martin, Jocelyn Merriman, Andrew Mowen, Danielle Neff, Grace Neff, Liam Neff, Samuel Neff, Jordan Noll, Maedene Piper, Jaxsyn Shindledecker, Ben Smith, Ella Swan.
By Claire Martin, special to LocalNews1
