Celebrant Pam Vetter


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Devoted Theatre Director
Contributed by: Pam Vetter on 8/29/2006

Twenty-Six Years Helping Children on Stage

8/29/06 Valley News Article

William Shakespeare may have written, "All the world's a stage..." but Gloria Watts of West Hills has lived her life following that sentiment.

For twenty-six years, Gloria Watts has helped children find their way to the stage to perform. It was an inborn talent, tracing back to her childhood. As a teenager, her mother performed under the stage name of Marie Davis in Vaudeville as a singer and dancer. When her mother, Mary, married her father, Bill Dorcy, in 1942, they moved to Hollywood so she could act. Dorcy quickly got work as a wrestler, known as "The Cyclone Kid." Her mother found singing work, but soon stayed home to raise her four daughters Carole, Alice, Gloria, and Pat. From the age of two, Gloria knew she wanted to be a singer and a dancer. Her mother quickly taught Gloria how to sing, "You Made Me Love You." She was inspired early on by Judy Garland, Elizabeth Taylor, and Betty Grable.

When Gloria was ten years old, her parents divorced. Her mother traveled for two years from California to Nevada to Louisiana to Ohio and through Kentucky. During 4th and 5th grades, Gloria attended forty different schools around the nation. Her mother was searching for the perfect place to raise her children. They were so poor at the time, her mother paid only twenty-five cents each, for her daughters to stay at an all day movie house in Reno while she worked.The girls watched the musical "Oklahoma," starring Shirley Jones, over and over again all day long. They loved it. At home in the evenings, without a television for entertainment, the girls would perform every part of "Oklahoma" for their mother. She was so proud of their talents. At school, it was a fantasy life. The other children loved the girls because they were from Hollywood. They'd perform and sing for the students and Catholic nuns. They were traveling stars.

When they returned to California, Gloria went on to direct many shows at Cleveland High School. She learned so much about casting in those days through lessons taught by her drama teacher. While Gloria was cut out of many leads and offered the position of director instead, she decided then and there to help other children in the future. She planned to double cast the lead roles in any productions she would direct, because she realized she could help others. "Performing should be fun and it should make the children feel good. I learned about compassion and fairness," Gloria said. She graduated from Cleveland High School and continued her education, graduating from San Fernando Valley College, which is now California State University Northridge. She always believed in having a solid education.

She spent the next decade landing the leads in productions that were touring around the nation and California. When she was performing as Juliet, in "Romeo and Juliet," she discovered that she and her husband were expecting their first child. She left the production and in 1978, they welcomed Katie into the world. Instead of watching "Sesame Street," Gloria taught Katie how to sing and dance. Together, mother and daughter watched "My Fair Lady," dozens of times. Gloria realized she could help other children and she began "Toddler Theatre" at the Jewish Community Center in Walnut Creek. The first class filled up in one day. It was amazing. Gloria continued working, raising her daughter, while earning another college degree in education. "I wanted to be prepared and have the tools to work with children, so educating myself was key," Gloria said.

By the time Gloria moved to the West Valley, her mentor, Ellen Albertini Dow, recommended her to Pierce College to lead many of their productions. Her foundation in theatre was about to expand to help children in the valley to stand on the stage and perform. Gloria started her own traveling children's theatre company. Over the years, she has worked in children's theatre with the Jewish Community Center, Welby Way, Bay Laurel, Round Meadow, Hidden Hills, St. Mel's, St. Francis Xavier, Oak Park, Medea Creek, and Bell Canyon Broadway among others. She has directed over 500 shows during the last two decades with children in the valley. One of the most amazing moments for her was directing Shirley Jones' granddaughter in a production. Gloria explained, "Shirley Jones was so kind to me and here I was helping her granddaughter. My life had come full circle. I told her how my sisters and I used to perform 'Oklahoma' in our living room because we couldn't afford a television." Gloria also remains a fan of Lloyd Bridges, who would help with chairs or the set when his grandchildren performed in her shows. "Nice people," Gloria said. She has also directed children of other celebrities such as Howie Mandel, Powers Booth, and Karen Black.

It is no surprise that her three daughters have followed in her footsteps. Katie earned a degree from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and is pursuing an English degree while earning her teaching credentials. Katie is currently auditioning at studios for feature film work. Sara is a stand-up comic who has performed at the Sportsman Lodge and has run her own room at Universal. She is currently writing a one woman show. Gloria's youngest daughter, Mary, worked as a choreographer on many of the children's productions over the years. Currently, Mary is furthering her education at San Francisco State University majoring in Political Science and Theatre Arts.

Parental involvement is very important to Gloria's shows. She asks parents to be a part of a process throughout rehearsal and preparation, which means practicing at home. Her goal is for children to feel confident. "I want the kids to feel good about themselves. Whether they are challenged, autistic, average,or high achievers, everyone has a talent. They just need a place to use it. Ultimately, I really want them to be able to walk into a job interview some day and be able to talk to the CEO on the other side of the desk. Theatre is about communication skills, helping shy children become more confident, while providing an outlet for children who want to perform," Gloria said. In the end, she hopes her legacy will be that the children were happier because they knew her. The one thing she wants the kids to remember, "I loved them."

Gloria has fifteen shows scheduled this fall at a variety of locations such as Bell Canyon and many LAUSD and Las Virgenes schools. Auditions will take place in September. Some of the musicals scheduled are "Fiddler on the Roof," "Annie," and "The Sound of Music." For more information, contact Kindertheatre@aol.com.

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