WORCESTER—Eric Butler describes the Worcester County Light Opera Company (WCLOC) as “in many ways, a hidden jewel on Grandview Avenue.”
Butler, president of the WCLOC, refers to the 100-seat venue that has served the company since 1948. However, WCLOC began in 1937 when six people met to perform Gilbert and Sullivan operettas.
A year later, the first major production of “HMS Pinafore and Trial by Jury” was performed at Tuckerman Hall with the organization approved for incorporation in 1939.
So how can a theater company that has existed for so long continue to thrive for many decades?
Butler thinks “relevancy” is one key.
“It has to be something alive, visceral, and not a museum piece,” Butler said. “Something that is worth it for people to turn off Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc. in the comfort of their living rooms and become active participants in the cultural life of the city.”
Over the decades, the theater company has evolved with the times—veering away from Gilbert and Sullivan to Broadway-style musicals in the ’50s, beginning with “No, No Nanette,” and adding everything from comedy and tragedy to classical and contemporary plays. Other mainstays include a children’s summer theater camp and original plays penned by local playwrights.
Butler participated in theater productions at St. John’s High School and College of the Holy Cross, where he received an undergraduate degree with a dual major in psychology/theater. His MBA is from Boston College.
“I’ve always been a champion, supporter, and participant in theater, so it is a great opportunity to balance the daily work I was doing with advocacy around theater at night,” Butler said.
His first WCLOC role after college was in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” and his directorial debut was with “The Women.” As a volunteer-based organization, participants often take on different roles—from acting and directing to costume, lighting and set design.
“Everyone has passion, love and talent in the arts,” Butler said, and they are drawn to WCLOC because “it really looks to produce works that are interesting, challenging and ones that reflect the world we live in.”
Each season, WCLOC performs four or five plays, one being a musical as well as a children’s production in the summer. The next show will be “Nine,” a musical adaptation of Fellini’s 8 ½ that runs April 26 to May 5.
Keeping tickets affordable is a priority for the board that governs WCLOC and is another reason Butler believes it has lasted for so long.
Tickets range from $20-$25 and a season subscription is less than $100, often less than a single ticket to a show at another performing arts venue, he pointed out.
A large component of WCLOC’s success lies in its summer children’s program, led by Rachel Savage for the past 15 years. Savage, assistant principal at Wawecus Road Elementary School, had her foray into WCLOC as a child because her parents were heavily immersed.
She explained that 30 students participate in five weeks of theater workshops, three times per week for 2 ½ hours each session. In addition to preparing for a full production, kids ages seven to 15, learn skills like teamwork, public speaking, problem solving, and confidence building.
“They develop themselves as humans and actors,” Savage said.
Following informal auditions where each child sings or acts, the program begins slowly during the first week. The children typically engage in theater games, improvisation, socialization, and snack time. By the second week, Savage noted, the kids go off script and “we’re off to the races.”
She noted that when WCLOC was operating online during COVID, they kept families active as they transitioned from outdoor shows to their normal routine.
Savage said the interest has not dipped. This year, the program was filled in less than 30 hours and there is a waiting list.
Although the upcoming production of “Into the Woods, Jr.” will be challenging, Savage has high hopes for the result. “The children usually surprise us in a good way,” she said.
Savage said she usually has a director’s assistant—an interested college student who participates for credits or an internship. She noted former students who have aged out sometimes return to help.
“Into the Woods Jr.” runs Aug. 8-10. Tickets are limited with priority given to families.
Savage explained that the board chooses what material to perform for the children and adult programs.
She pitches ideas with variety in mind. Although she finds it difficult to cite a favorite musical the kids have performed, Savage is excited to work on a Sondheim musical and likes “stories we’ve told that have great messages.”
“Honk Jr.,” she said, had a message of perseverance, while “Once on This Island,” emphasized acceptance.
Savage’s father, Ed Savage, now the organization’s treasurer, first became involved with WCLOC as a high school senior when his sister “dragged him to Hello Dolly in 1971.”
A retired English/theater teacher at North High, Ed got heavily entrenched in the company when he was asked to be its president at age 25 in the late 1970s. He has acted in numerous productions over the years, notably “Sweeney Todd,” and frequently directed shows as well.
For the past six years, his role as treasurer takes up much of his time but he has also been building sets.
Ed Savage said a long-term goal is to find a larger venue to share WCLOC’s talents with more people.
“It’s affordable, we offer quality musicals and we work with children in the summer on a musical,” he said. “I think we serve the county very well.”
Butler said he always tries to think “outside of the box” for programs. He is also founder of Broadway in Worcester and board chair of Worcester Cultural Coalition.
For WCLOC’s “growth and evolution,” he wants to enhance the company’s role in Worcester’s arts scene.
“I want to create a synergy with other organizations in the city to help keep a cultural landscape alive,” Butler said.
Susan Gonsalves is currently editor-in-chief of a mental health trade journal and a freelance writer/editor specializing in education, medical/health and business. She previously worked at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and has contributed to publications at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and College of the Holy Cross. At the Worcester Telegram, she covered the town of Leicester and wrote for Business Matters. She can be reached at smgedit@comcast.net
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