Tuesday, April 08, 2014

The Future of Acting In Boston Is In Good Hands - The Boston Teen Acting Troupe Presents "The Dream of the Burning Boy"




I have often remarked about the fact that those of us who live in the Boston area and love theater are surrounded by an embarrassment of riches.  This is true at all levels - fringe, small companies, medium size companies,and full-bore Broadway quality Equity houses.  We are are also blessed that many members of the next generation of stage actors are being trained within the 617 area code.  We have Boston Conservatory,  Emerson, Suffolk, BU, Northeastern all training young men and women who will someday grace the stages of local Boston area theaters as well as those in New York and beyond.  I have recently become aware of a treasured local resource that gives young actors a jump start on this training and acting experience: The Boston Teen Acting Troupe.

This past weekend, I attended a performance of the troupe's New England Premiere and Teen Premiere of David West Read's intriguing play, "The Dream of The Burning Boy."  The troupe trains and performs under the inspired leadership of Co-Artistic Directors Jack Serio and Catherine Spino and Managing Director Ritchie Sullivan.

ack Serio directs this premiere, marking this his ninth production with The Boston Teen Acting Troupe. Past credits include "All My Sons, Red, Dog Sees God" and "God of Carnage." While I will not review specific actors from this company, I will say that the overall quality of the ensemble is excellent.  I love the quotation from the Boston Metro reviewer who said: "You know that one kid in every high school drama club that just blows everyone away? All the members of the Boston Teen Acting Troupe are those kids." I could not agree more.  This troupe is performing at a level well above what one has come to expect from high school drama.  They are tackling plays that confront complex problems and that demand nuanced understanding of character, story and performance.

I encourage you to come out to Boston Center for the Arts Calderwood Pavilion to see this play and to support this troupe.  What a great opportunity to see the future of theatre in the present!

"The Boston Teen Acting Troupe was founded in January of 2011 with the goal of bringing enriching, engaging and edgy theatre to teens, as well as providing an outlet for Boston teenagers who are serious about their craft, whether that is acting, directing or design. The Boston Teen Acting Troupe's goal is to eliminate the cliché of "bad high school theatre" by producing challenging plays not normally seen performed by young actors. Since 2011, The Boston Teen Acting Troupe has produced ten completely teen run shows in a variety of Boston and Cambridge theaters. Coverage in The New York Times and on National Public Radio have created a fan following for the fledgling theatre group."

THE DREAM OF THE BURNING BOY runs through Saturday, April 12th, 2014. Regular single tickets are $25.00, with discounts for students and seniors. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8PM, Saturdays at 2PM. Tickets may be purchased through the Boston Theatre Scene box office, by phone at (617) 933-8600, or online at www.bostontheatrescene.com. There may also be tickets available at the box office the day of each performance, though advance reservations are recommended.

Boston Teen Acting Troupe

CAST

LARRY - Max Gustafson
STEVE - Sam Vita
KYLE - Ronan Smith
DANE - Garrett Sager
RACHEL - Barbara Woodall
CHELSEA - Evy Oliverio
ANDREA - Devan Callahan

PERFORMANCES
Thursdays @ 7:30PM
Fridays &; Saturdays @ 8PM
Saturdays @ 2PM

The Calderwood Pavilion
is located at

527 Tremont St.
in
Boston's South End

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