Ray Zarr has performed in New York on stage at the Metropolitan Opera. Now he’s going to direct one of the six productions in the “6 x 10 Play Festival,” Dec. 7, 8 and 9, at the Barn Players Theatre, 6219 Martway in Mission, Kan. The 10-minute play is “The Captain and Roberts Take on the World,” written by local playwright Brian Gehrlein.
Zarr directed his first play for the Chilean Relief Fund in 1959 when he was only 9 years old.
“I gathered all the Jewish kids in the neighborhood that were learning trumpet, trombone, flute, drums and taking dance lessons and put on a show at Sommerset Elementary. We raised 300 dollars,” he reminisced this week.
His acting career also began in elementary school and he has continued to act throughout his life.
“When I was 13 I did ‘Ring Around the Moon’ by Frederick Molnar at the Jewish Community Center. My twin brother, Ron, and I played twins in the play. One twin would run off stage and the other one would come on dressed in something entirely different in about five seconds and no one could figure out how they did that because in the program it said R period Zarr for Hugo and R period Zarr for Frederick, the two twins,” he explained.
Following graduation from the University of Denver, Zarr was with the Metropolitan Opera in New York City for several years, where he played a supernumerary.
“That is a person who stands in costume holding a spear or engaging in a fight or being in a parade, but doesn’t sing on the stage as an extra,” he explained.
While in New York City, he toured nationally with two Broadway shows, “Cabaret” and “1776.”
After teaching and directing plays in Upstate New York, Zarr returned to Kansas City in 2004 to take care of his father, Ben, who now lives in Village Shalom. He has sung and performed at many local theaters including The Barn Players, Unicorn, Starlight and Theatre in the Park. He also performs in his own cabaret production and sings concerts at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, where he is a member, with Cantor Sharon Kohn.
Last year he also directed a play at the “6 x 10 Play Festival.” He estimates he has directed 118 plays over the years and “been in something like 178 plays since the age of 9.”
Today he characterizes himself as “more of an actor,” but also does just about anything in a theater including serving as house manager or as head of all the ushers.
“I keep very busy,” he said.
He says the “The Captain and Roberts Take on the World” is a “very funny two-character play” and notes while the plays are supposed to be 10 minutes long, they often aren’t.
“None of the plays are actually 10 minutes. They are more like 15 to 20,” he said.