Above: Next week, and the following, a community theater in Framingham will perform a musical comedy. I’m sharing their news, plus other local theater and acting opportunities including kids camps. (images edited from Facebook posts by L-R A Common Thread Theatre Company and SkyRise Theater)
Southborough isn’t a major arts hub, but you can catch a few theater performances this summer in neighboring towns. I’m sharing news on those — plus local acting opportunities for kids and adults.
A number of nearby acting camps/productions (including one in town) offer kids a chance to tap into their creative sides and shine. Or, if you’re an adult with the acting bug, you may want to learn about theater companies and troupes to follow in our area for audition opportunities for their future productions.
Upcoming Plays
Most, but not all of these are musicals. Many are by and for kids, but a few are geared for teens and adults.
Alice in Wonderland, Jr.: Saturday, July 12 at 12:00 – 1:00 pm and 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Hopkinton Center for the Arts, 98 Hayden Rowe St, Hopkinton
Performed by the 4th-8th grade cast of HCA’s Enter Stage Left Youth Theater. The junior version of the script based on the Disney musical classic. To purchase tickets, click here.
Once Upon A Mattress: weekends July 18-25
Dennison Memorial Hall at Boston Church Framingham, 214 Concord Street, Framingham
Performed by A Common Thread Theatre Company, the former Broadway Musical is a comedic take on the Princess and the Pea.
Performances are 7:30 – 9:30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays (July 18, 19, 25 & 26) and 3:00 – 5:00 pm on Sunday (July 20 & 27). Learn more and purchase tickets here.
Willy Wonka Kids: Friday, July 18 at 12:00 – 12:30 pm and 1:30 – 2:00 pm
Mill Pond School, 6 Olde Hickory Path, Westborough
Performed by the 7-15 yr old casts of SkyRise Theater camps. This is the abbreviated, youth script version (featuring songs from the 1971 film) of the story based on Roald Dahl’s book, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory. To purchase tickets, click here.
Puffs: Thursday, July 24 at 12:00 pm
Westborough High School, 90 W Main Street, Westborough
Performed by the high school aged cast of SkyRise Theater camp. The non-musical, magical, comedy is clearly from the unofficial world of Harry Potter, about a boy who “just happened” to attend “a certain Wizard School”. It’s promoted as “A tale for anyone who has never been destined to save the world”. To purchase tickets, click here.
Frozen Jr.: Saturday, July 26 at 12:00 – 1:00 pm and 3:00 – 4:00 pm
Hopkinton Center for the Arts, 98 Hayden Rowe St, Hopkinton
Performed by the 2nd-5th grade cast of HCA’s Enter Stage Left Youth Theater. The junior version of the play based on the popular Disney musical. To purchase tickets, click here.
Beetlejuice Jr: Friday, August 1 at 10:30 am and 1:00 pm
Westborough High School, 90 W Main Street, Westborough
Performed by the 11-15 yr old casts of SkyRise Theater camps. The junor version of the scrip based on the comedy musical, which was based on the 1988 wacky movie about ghosts who conjour up a demon to scare away the family living in their house. To purchase tickets, click here.
Olympus: Friday, August 8 at 1:30 pm
Mill Pond School, 6 Olde Hickory Path, Westborough
Performed by the 5-13 yr old cast of SkyRise Theater camp. This is one of the theater company’s original children’s plays, a musical inspired by Greek mythology. To purchase tickets, click here.
Footloose: The Musical: Saturdays & Sundays, August 8-16 at 7:30 pm
Hopkinton Center for the Arts, 98 Hayden Rowe St, Hopkinton
Performed by the high school and college aged cast of HCA’s Enter Stage Left Theater. The Broadway musical was based on the popular 1984 movie about a high school boy who moves to a small town where dancing is banned. To purchase tickets, click here.
GR8 Race: Friday, August 15 at 1:30 pm
Southborough – Trottier Middle School auditorium, 49 Parkerville Rd
Performed by the 5-12 yr old casts of SkyRise Theater camps. This is one of the theater company’s original children’s plays, a comedy based on the Aesop children’s tale of the Tortoise vs the Hare. To purchase tickets, click here.
A Play, A Pint, & A Pie: Saturday, August 23 & Sunday, August 24 at 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Hopkinton Center for the Arts, 98 Hayden Rowe St, Hopkinton
HCA’s Enter Stage Left Theater is putting on its “5th Annual” festival of one act plays, with dinner (a meat or vegetarian pie). (This event appears to be non-musical plays put on by adult casts.) For details, including the list of five plays, and to purchase tickets, click here.
Acting Camps
Southborough Rec’s Camp: The GR8 Race by SkyRise Theater
The camp for 5-12 year olds will be held at Trottier Middle School the week of August 11th, from 8:30 am – 2:30 pm. Students will perform in the SkyRise original musical (about the classic children’s tale of the Tortoise vs the Hare) that Friday, August 15th at 1:30 pm for family, friends, and interested members of the public. Learn more and sign up for the camp here.
SkyRise in Westborough
The theater company is based in Westborough, which is where their other camps all appear to be based. Their camp season is in full swing with camps for age groups starting as young as 3 yrs old up through high school. Click here for details on the ones still coming up next week through mid August. (They also have school year programs.)
Hopkinton Center for the Arts’ Enter Stage Left Theater
HCA’s theater group offers classes for Pre-K to 12th grade. Their summer season is also in full swing. But there are still several opportunities this summer (far beyond those listed as resulting in public performances listed above). They also have acting classes this summer and fall for adults. For camp/class details, click here.
Community Theater Groups
Over the dozen years I’ve been writing for the blog, several community theater groups have dissolved, while a few new ones have popped up. Here are the options I was able to find currently rooted in directly neighboring towns:
A Common Thread Theatre Company
Based out of Boston Church of Christ, 214 Concord Street, Framingham, this group has announced upcoming auditions for the October musical “Something Rotten!” You can read a description here and sign up for auditions (Monday, August 4 & Tuesday, August 5 from 6:30 – 9:30 pm) here.
Enter Stage Left Theater through Hopkinton Center for the Arts
HCA’s theater group is advertising youth theater auditions for 2nd- 5th graders on Sunday August 24th for their fall youth comedy play “Bestest Bedtimes Stories (as Told by Our Grandpa)(He’s Silly)”. You can read about that and sign kids up here. Currently, nothing is listed for adult Casting Calls, but their website claims the take place year round and the autidion page regularly updates info. you can follow HCA on Facebook here. (The theater group’s dedicated public Facebook page appears to be inactive.)
Curtain Up Theater
The MetroWest group is using the Trottier stage in Southborough for its second mainstage musical this fall, Guys & Dolls. That’s already been fully cast through auditions held in town last month. To keep tabs on future opportunities, you can follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
Ashland Community Theater
This is an unusual community theater group, that also has been filming a series of short films that can be streamed. (Currently streaming is “Wish You Were There”.) You can follow them on Facebook here, but there hasn’t been anything posted there about auditions for years. So you might be better off contacting them to be put on their mailing list.
If you know of other plays or community theatre groups in the immediate vicinity, please share it in the comments.
