Young Company ready to perform 4 musicals at Greater Boston Stage in Stoneham
STONEHAM - This summer, talented students are hard at work, creating four different musicals, and they're ready to hit the stage.
The Young Company at the Greater Boston Stage in Stoneham is one of the longest-running, year-round theater programs in the area.
"Good theater makes good people"
Education assistant Autumn Blazon-Brown, who was once a camper there, says, "It's a really cool environment where kids get to be who they want to be and learn about themselves in a very safe way"
The motto for the program? "Good theater makes good people," and 18-year-old Patch Bentley couldn't agree more. She's been coming to camp for four years and is preparing for her final performance before heading to Ithaca College in a few weeks.
"Summer camps are so special because you spend so much time working on the shows. You're here all day and you get to do workshops, as well as run the show and rehearse," Bentley says.
Thirteen-year-old Belle Maccini is a first-time camper, who says she's sad she didn't do it last year. "It's a really fun experience. I'm getting to make all these new friends and meeting all these new people."
Over the past two decades, the Young Company has trained hundreds of kids, grades 1 through 12. They learn the arts and get the chance to perform in a professional setting.
Blazon-Brown says, "All of our teaching artists work in the industry. So not only are the kids learning from professionals, they're also learning from people who want to be educators."
"We all remember how much we loved theater growing up. And we're excited to pass that on to the next generation," Education Manager Morgan Flynn adds.
Students learn every role in a theater production
The students are broken up into three groups or "acts" and are working on four different productions. Seussical is the fourth show for 11-year-old Sammy Young, and he can't get enough.
"I will do it until I can't do it anymore," Young says.
From costumer design to choreography, the students learn it all, and the lessons are deeper than what you just see on stage.
Flynn says, "I think theater teaches you of many transferable skills like in life, collaboration, active listening, positivity and 'the show must go on' kind of attitude."
"Everyone should do theater, at least at some point in their lives, even if they don't think they'll like it, because it really teaches you so much about what hard work goes into making art. And you get to collaborate on a piece of work that you will end up being so, so proud of, and it's just so worth it," Bentley explains.
You can see what the campers have been working on for yourself. The Young Company's performances of High School Musical, Once Upon a Mattress, Seussical Jr., and Six the Musical Teen Edition are at Greater Boston Stage in Stoneham, August 8-11.