The Show That Will Have You Falling For This Local Theatre Co, According To Someone Who Just Saw It

Burbage Theatre will win your heart with their delightfully charming version of Shakespeare In Love!

Theater at its finest wraps the audience up with care and skill. Because when you do it right, the building you’re in fades away while the story surrounds you. That is exactly what happens with Burbage Theatre Company, your surroundings vanish and you’re left immersed in the play itself. Here, a clever group of talented actors keep you at the edge of your seat.

Started by actors, this small company performs at a space in historic Pawtucket. To borrow from their mission statement, “The Burbage Theatre Company strives to excite and engage a new generation of theatre-goer with socially relevant and compelling stories, both classic and contemporary, told by an inventive and expert ensemble of actors.” And they do...

I was (finally) able to get tickets to their hit version of Shakespeare In Love over the weekend. Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall, and yes, based on the screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. This version is directed beautifully by Jeff Church and performed to success by the charming Dillon Medina and captivating Alison Russo in the title roles.

And between you and them are Jeff Church, Roger Lemelin, Andrew Stigler, Cassidy McCartan, Aaron Blanck, Nicolas Menna, Rae Mancini, James Lucey, Patrick Keeffe, Brian McGuirk, Gabe McCauley, Nick Griffin, Jack Clarke, Gabrielle McCauley, Helena Tafuri, Brian Kozak, Andrew Iacovelli…You’ll notice I listed the whole cast there, that’s because everyone in this production is strong in their roles and they all deserve a mention for what is clearly a great deal of time and effort spent tuning into these characters.

There’s a connectivity you get with live theater that you just can’t get watching a screen at home or on your phone. As in touch with the social world as some of us have to be, it’s hard to convince someone to unplug for two hours nowadays. But here’s your road to a healthier mental state, it’s a chance to not have to scroll or skip ad in order to be entertained. Just unplug for an evening and engage with a local theater like this one.

Burbage is consistently selling out of its current production of Shakespeare In Love, so if you were hoping to see this show, you better get yourself over to http://www.burbagetheatre.org/ right now and grab a ticket, provided they haven’t sold out between me typing this and you reading it.

Thanks for reading!

+ Colin Carlton