ENFIELD — Executive Director Maya Nicole Matthews of Enfield Loaves and Fishes has been elected the president of Opera House Players, a nonprofit volunteer-based community theater group based out of Enfield.
Matthews said, “I’m extremely proud; coming from not knowing if I had a place in that organization to now being the president of it just brings me so much joy.”
She continued, “You just never know where life is going to take you and this organization gave me so much confidence not only in my abilities as an actor and singer, but they gave me the opportunity to lead which is something I hadn’t been able to do yet in my career and because of that, I was able to progress in my career. While heading two organizations that mean so much to our community is going to be a heavy task; I am up for the challenge.”
The Opera House Players is one of the most successful community theater groups in the region. They perform four shows a season, with a variety ranging from comedy to drama, contemporary to classic, as well as multiple fundraisers a year.
Founded in 1968, the theater group was originally named the St. Martha Players. In 2003, they moved from Enfield to Broad Brook and became the Opera House Players. In 2018, coinciding with their 50th anniversary, the Opera House Players returned to its original hometown of Enfield where they are raising funds to renovate their building at 100 High St. into a theater and eventually, Center for the Arts that the entire community can enjoy.
Matthews has always loved acting and singing. She has been involved with the Opera House Players since 2019 when she was cast in “Bright Star.” Matthews has since been in their production of “RENT” in 2022 and starred in “American Son” earlier this year — OHP’s first non-musical production.
Matthews loved the people and the process so much she had gone to the President Susan Choquette at the time and asked if she needed any help on her board. Matthews became the public relations coordinator shortly thereafter and then moved over to the vice president role in 2021. When Erin Dugan decided to step down as president, Matthews was the next successor.
Vice President/Technical Director Nate Ferreira of the Opera House Players said, “Maya exudes confidence and charm. She has proven to be effective in every role I have seen her in from being Executive Director of Enfield Loaves and Fishes, to her work organizing the Enfield Fourth of July Town Celebration, being an amazing mom, working with the Connecticut Science Center, the list is a mile long.”
He continued, “In my five years on the board, OHP has been very lucky to have the incredible leadership of Susan Choquette, Joshua Prouser, and Erin Dugan, and we are just as fortunate to have Maya stepping into the role. I’m confident that we will continue to thrive under her leadership.”
Right now, Matthews told Reminder Publishing that OHP needs an executive director to join their team and volunteers to build up their committees. They are also on the verge of beginning renovations to their theater at 100 High St. and just acquired a large costume warehouse collection.
“I’m especially suited for where Opera House Players are right now in their evolution,” said Matthews. “I’m very confident that with me at the helm on this, we are going to be extremely successful implementing new complex projects and restructuring operations which is exactly what we need to get to the next level. My whole goal now is organization, so that we can take each step as it comes and try our best to do everything right the first time.”
To learn more about Opera House Players, visit operahouseplayers.org. Readers can also contact info@operahouseplayers.org with questions.
