Zaiah Gray
Although Zaiah Gray comes from a family very involved in community theater (his mother is the executive director of Theatre Bristol, his sister, dad and brother are also involved with Theatre Bristol), he refused to speak in his first role.
“I have been involved in theater for as long as I can recall, and I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have had opportunities to participate in over 55 productions. Among these notable productions are ‘Les Misérables,’ where I portrayed Gavroche, ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ as Jeremy Potts, ‘The Music Man’ as Winthrop Paroo, and the ‘Jungle Book’ as Baloo the Bear. The very first production that kicked off this journey was ‘Peter Pan the Avenger,’ where I played the role of lost boy Chootles - a friend to Tootles who does not speak, since I wouldn’t say lines,” Zaiah says.
His most recent performance was as Romeo in Theatre Bristol’s “The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet.” He has a role in their upcoming production of “Oklahoma.”
“What interests me most about performing is being able to portray different people and bringing them to life on stage. It’s always a fun challenge bringing these characters to life, whether the character was or is real. I can use empathy to portray them or be a fictional character where I can use a little of my own imagination to play them.
“I am grateful for all the roles I have gotten to be, but my favorite has to be Malvolio from ‘Twelfth Night.’ I really feel like acting clicked for me in that show and expressing that character was very fun for me. Another role that was incredibly enjoyable for me was playing Gavroche in ‘Les Misérables.’ I got to run around and give people a piece of my mind, but there were also those bittersweet moments during rehearsals when my mom couldn’t help but shed a tear as she watched me practice dying. I genuinely love the score of ‘In The Heights’ and the pure fun of belting it out with my mom,” he says.
Zaiah also spends a lot of time in the theater with his sister, Camille Gray.
“My sister has definitely been my biggest influence. My whole life she has always been there for me in life on the stage and off. In the theater life, Camille and I do everything together, from screaming show tunes at the tops of our lungs to making up dances and making costumes to, mostly her, giving pointers before going on stage.
“It’s fantastic that not only my sister and I participate in shows, but my dad and brother also share a passion for performing. Occasionally, even my mom joins in on the fun too. Participating in shows together is an incredible experience, not only because it allows us to spend quality time as a family but also because it provides us with a valuable opportunity to give each other feedback and suggestions for improvement,” he says.
Zaiah has been acting, singing and dancing most of his life, studying ballet and tap, as well as musical theater dance. Recently, he took a break from the stage and had the opportunity to be part of the crew - building sets, helping with costumes and being a runner.He also serves as vice president of Theatre Bristol’s Youth Service Board and was the theater’s summer camp coordinator for the past two years.
“Not only does theater mean meeting new friends you cannot find anywhere else, but it means being able to become someone new and being able to go through what that character has gone through.
“In my life, my main goal is to bring laughter and joy to people, which is why I gravitate towards comedy. However, musical theater has a special spot in my heart that just can’t be ignored. The blend of music, storytelling and the way it touches your soul through song and dance is absolutely mesmerizing. It lets me unleash my true self in a way that’s both thrilling and gratifying,” he says.
Zaiah would like to go to King University and study psychology and theater and become a pediatric psychologist and continue being involved with the theater. He’s also taking voice lessons and enjoys spending time roller skating in sync with his friends.
He is 16 and lives in Bluff City, Tennessee, with his parents Dan and Samantha Gray.
