by Erin Jones, photography by Nikola Tzenov
Homero Bayarena still remembers receiving a phone call from a young woman he first directed in the Glyndon Area Players when she was 5.
Erica Clare, from Finksburg, played a Munchkin in the company’s production of “The Wizard of Oz.” Years later, now an established professional actor who had led several notable productions, Clare had been cast in an International Touring Company of “The Wizard of Oz.” Because the company did not cast children, many cast members also played Munchkins.
When the show opened in Dubai, she sent Bayarena a photo from the production, showing that she was wearing the same costume she had worn as a little girl. “I can’t tell you how many folks I’ve gotten calls from that have continued their career in theater, and they have stayed connected,” Bayarena says.
Although technically across the border in Baltimore County, Glyndon Area Players draws an estimated 70% of its participants from Carroll County, including Bayarena, its founder, who is himself from Mount Airy. The company, which sprang from Bayarena’s dreams and design and originated at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Glyndon, is approaching its 30th anniversary.
Clare is one example of many from Carroll County whose theater careers began and were shaped by community theater. Carroll County has a vibrant ecosystem of theater programs and opportunities, bolstered by reciprocity and a shared mission.
“All of these theater programs are producing career theater actors and directors. That is a constant reminder of how, when folks buy tickets to see these shows, or help promote, sponsor or donate, it’s not a one-off thing,” says Carroll County Arts Council Executive Director Stephen Strosnider.
A graduate of Francis Scott Key High School and self-described theater kid, Strosnider majored in theater at Shenandoah University. He worked in theater around Washington, D.C., before being drawn back to Carroll County and its rich theater and arts landscape.
Now four years into his tenure as executive director, Strosnider says that while the Arts Council provides an array of enriching programming directly, it is also a resource for the many theater companies that make their home in Carroll County.
Players on Air
Farther north in Hampstead, Players on Air also offers an array of programming and opportunities for all ages.
Founded by Laura Wonsala in 2017, the group has grown from a group of six or seven like-minded people looking to create theater opportunities to produce around seven shows each year. They provide opportunities for children, teens and adults, with their annual musical “A Christmas Carol” drawing more than 70 participants last year.
“It has been such a joy, such a surprise, finally getting that opportunity to do what I wanted to do all along, which was to bring more theater to Carroll County, and seeing the enthusiasm behind it,” Wonsala says.
“The people who want to perform with ‘A Christmas Carol’ — families coming to do the. show and making it their yearly tradition — that really touches my heart and makes me so proud.”
While now based in the Coppermine Pantherplex in Hampstead, the name Players on Air comes from the Mount Airy roots of the founders, including Wonsala.
Mount Airy previously had its own theater company, the Mount Airy Players. They, along with Carroll Players and McDaniel College’s professional company Theatre on the Hill, represent important chapters in the legacy of Carroll County theater history.
“It has been such a joy, such a surprise, finally getting that opportunity to do what I wanted to do all along, which was to bring more theater to Carroll County, and seeing the enthusiasm behind it. ” — Laura Wonsala, Players On Air
September Song
September Song has been creating theater magic in Carroll County for 51 years. Fittingly, the company was founded by educators — Arnie Hayes and Robert “Doc” Kersey — and performed for many years at Westminster High School. They produce one musical a year with robust intergenerational participation, ranging from elementary school students to older adults.
After five decades of creating theater, the participation is not only intergenerational but also multigenerational. Its young actors sometimes perform alongside parents and grandparents.
Executive Producer Allen Cross was only 18 when he joined September Song.
“Getting to work with adults who were my parents’ age, some my grandparents’ age, and then working sometimes with kids who are younger was beneficial. You’re very vulnerable when you’re acting or especially when you’re singing, so it helps build your confidence,” Cross says.
September Song has, over the years, yielded multiple Broadway World Baltimore-area awards and has also taken a segment of the company to Lincoln Center, where they performed in a fully staged concert of “Anastasia” alongside some of the original Broadway cast.
This September, the group will bring Broadway back to Carroll County with their “100 Years of Broadway Musical Review,” and they have just announced “The Prince of Egypt” for the following year.
Small Town Stars Theatre Company
Founded by Miranda Secula-Rosell when she was only 18, Small Town Stars Theatre Company is another group celebrating a milestone: 10 years.
“Something I take great pride in is the fact that people continue coming back to us because they feel like we’ve created a healthy and safe environment for them to be vulnerable and create art, and that means a lot to me,” Secula-Rosell says.
The company annually produces two plays, a summer musical and two production intensives each for teens (ages 12-19) and children (ages 5-11).
“It gives them a safe space with adults who care for them to be able to express things that are difficult,” Secula-Rosell says. “I’m so proud of my team, and my team who works on these production intensive cares so much about these kids.”
Spotlight Musical Theatre and Constellations Theater Company
Today, Mount Airy-based Spotlight Musical Theatre, along with Westminster-based Constellations Theater Company, are both dedicated to training up the next generation of Carroll County theater performers.
Founded in 2015, Spotlight Musical Theatre aims to provide a well-rounded education for its young thespians, both on and off stage and backstage. In addition to their productions, they offer a full docket of programming for a variety of ages through their theater summer camp.
Constellations began in fall 2020 in partnership with Project C Studios before becoming an independent theater company. The company includes children from ages 7 through 12th grade across three distinct programs. They put on six productions annually and offer a summer intensive.
“I’ve had so many parents and kids tell me about how they’ve grown as a person — how their confidence has grown in more than just being on stage, but also in their day-to-day lives,” says Constellations founder and producer Rob Miller.
With so many opportunities across the county, it might seem plausible that the groups would be highly competitive, jockeying for the attention and loyalty of theater-lovers. However, the repeated refrain across companies is that the opposite is true.
“There are so many different opportunities for kids and adults to grow their craft; there’s room for everybody here in the county,” Miller says.
Anecdotal evidence abounds of Carroll County’s theater companies sharing resources, arranging rehearsal schedules and coordinating performance dates so that people can move between companies and explore.
“All of these theater programs are producing career theater actors and directors. That is a constant reminder of how, when folks buy tickets to see these shows, or help promote, sponsor or donate, it’s not a one-off thing.” — Stephen Strosnider, cCAC
Strosnider credits the support and theatrical resources of educational institutions like McDaniel College and Carroll Community College, as well as the wealth of expertise and support from arts educators in Carroll County Public Schools.
“The work being done by our theater directors in the school system is amazing — priming kids and encouraging them to pursue outdoor things also,” Strosnider says.
Bayarena agrees. The photo reminder from “The Wizard of Oz” in Dubai reminds him that the children on the “Frozen” stage and on many stages around Carroll County will one day populate stages around the world, blooming from the nurturing and tending of community theater.
