History of the UU Players

The UU Players company originated in 1983, taking over from a parent-teacher theatre troupe at Morley School , known as the Morley Players.

When the school no longer wanted to sponsor the group, it moved a few blocks up Fern Street to the Universalist Church of West Hartford. The church used to have a light opera society that performed Gilbert & Sullivan shows.

Since 1983's Mary Poppins, the group has staged its annual shows at the church's Fiske Hall, evolving from an all-adult company into one that includes a range of ages.

Always a musical, each play is deliberately chosen for its wit and appeal to intergenerational audiences.

During the 1990s, director Duncan Bockus, who had first performed in and eventually directed many productions with this group, opened auditions to youth for another production of Mary Poppins.

Every January when the wind is at its iciest, suddenly a bunch of church members and friends start spending Fridays and Sundays hanging around Fiske Hall.  If you’re observant, you’ll find them dancing through the hallways, whistling melodies at deacon’s meetings, singing songs that would even stretch a UU definition of a hymn.  Soon brightly colored cloth, or feathers, or strange hats start finding their way out of closets and cupboards, the smell of paint hovers over freshly sawed wood, and the piano in Fiske Hall gets a real workout every weekend. Why are the UU Players a part of our congregation on Fern Street ? Just listen...

“I have always loved theater, but never thought about acting myself until I saw the UU Players do Peter Pan back in the 1980s.  Because everyone was so friendly and welcoming, I had the courage to give acting a try.  UU Players is about theater, fun, inclusion, creativity, teamwork, and again, FUN.”  [Karen Furnans, who now has a resume of more than 25 productions with 8+ theater companies!!!]

“The most rewarding part of the show for me is the camaraderie, working with people young and old, thespians experienced and novice.  It’s especially exciting to see the children blossom over the years, building their dramatic skills and personal confidence in this fun, non-competitive environment.”  [Susan Jane Stamm]

“Duncan Bockus has fostered a true sense of community with the Universalist Players, where everyone is welcome to ‘play.’  Membership in the group spans the generations, and we are all enriched by the experience.”  [Sally Oxman]

 “I have been a member of the Universalist Players for nine years, and I have become friends with people that I otherwise would hardly have known.  I will really miss the group when I go away to college next year.  I’ve loved being a part of it over the years!”  [Rachel Oxman]

“The UU Players Group has given me the opportunity to have fun and make connections with nice people, and at the same time work towards the common goal of putting together credible and entertaining theatrical productions.  It is the spirit of the journey that I have enjoyed most.  …  And while we do put some serious work into our productions, we have not lost sight that the truly important aspect of this group comes out of the moments that we have with one another along the way.”  [Tom Oxman – patriarch of the founding family of “parent-child performing” within UU Players.]  

And from our own Rev. Jean Cook Brown, who played the role of Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins in 1983: “Whenever we bring a group of people together in a worthwhile endeavor,  we are doing ministry.  The UU Players have been ministering to each other and to their audiences for more than 20 years.”

News photo for Morley Players' production of Cinderella in the 1970s.

Photo from 1987 production of The Wizard of Oz.

Photo from the UU Players' production of Snow White in 1988.

Photo from the Almost Just-So Stories production in 2001.

Alice in Wonderland, 2002.

From HONK! in 2004.