Students are considered members of a company and are exposed to acting techniques and exercises, improvisation, voice and movement exercises, directing, and simple scene work. All members of the company work together to ensure the success of the group. Theatre students perform two or three productions each year as well as participate in on-campus Coffee Houses.

Past Performances

Spring Shorts
“I thought it was wicked funny! I went both nights because I enjoyed it so much.  You could tell that they had fun with it while working hard.” ~  Anna Chaletzky ’11
“One hour, short and sweet,” said drama director Phil Atkins when he was asked how long the Spring Shorts production would be. And how sweet it was! The face-paced, high-energy, fun, yet often poignant hour of entertainment was provided by eight very talented drama students at Brewster’s Black Box Theater on May 8 and 9. Consisting of four comedic skits and three dramatic monologues, it was obvious that the cast members had worked very hard to produce such an impressive show. It was also obvious that each and every one of them enjoyed being onstage. Surprisingly for such a well-crafted performance, five of the eight cast members were new to Brewster’s dramatic stage, including freshmen Bekah Barr, Kai Cameron, and Toni DiGeronimo; junior Jessie Howard; and senior Peter Recht, who showed off his onstage skills in addition to performing his backstage duties as stage manager and lighting designer. The veterans – senior Sean Hammond and sophomores Hannah Carter and Genevieve Curran – exhibited their usual ease and skill in their roles, making it all look so easy. Junior Jason Teitelman was the lighting operator and a member of the tech crew along with cast members Recht and Carter.  Photos.
“A great range of subjects and emotional tempos that suited the talents of the various artists”  ~ Sharon Lee, art instructor

Urinetown

The cast: Standing  l to r: Sean Hammond '09, Ally Reiner '10, Amanda Graham '10, Beth Duffy '11, Liza Paradis '10, Eric Burns-White, Gen Curran '11, Mark Deering '09, David Neiman '11, and Hannah Carter '11; Kneeling: Anna Parker '09, Ryan Cooper '09, Matt Stavis '11 ,and Grace Apfeld '10. (Photos)

February 19-21, 2009 -- What on earth would propel director Phil Atkins of Brewster Academy to pick Urinetown for a musical? Why choose a show that features the lowest, dirtiest urinal in town as the keystone of the stage? The songs have shocking titles like "It is a Privilege to Pee" and "Snuff That Girl." So why would you want to spend a few hours watching this?

"To sum it up, I like the lighthearted perspective of the show on plays of the past," said Wolfeboro resident, sophomore David Nieman, who played the role of the "yes man," Mr. McQueen. "There were several parodies throughout the show of musicals such as Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story, and Big River. This production had the elements of a good plot, but often stepped outside of what I think most people would expect in a musical. To be honest, I think the songs and the set were my favorite parts of this show."

The musical is based on the book written by Greg Kotis, who traveled through Europe on a dime-sized budget. Most of his dimes were spent in pay-per-use toilets. Urinetown is a satirical and thoughtful jump into a world examining abuses of government, social-economic confrontations, and small town politics.

This is a Broadway show that beat all the odds. Reportedly starting out as a community theatre production with a $300 budget, it grew to be the first musical opening in New York after the 9/11 attacks. Urinetown the Musical won three Tony Awards and was nominated for 10.

Cast List.

Animal Farm

November 14-15, 2008 -- Students in the fall afternoon drama class performed Animal Farm at the end of the fall trimester. George Orwell's 1945 satire on the perils of Stalinism has proved magnificently long lived as a parable about totalitarianism anywhere. This dramatization retained both its affection for the animals and the incisiveness of its message. Cast members were Gen Curran, Graham Kasprzyk, Liza Paradis, Hannah Pope, Jordan Weaver, Sean Hammond, Hannah Carter, and Peter Recht.

West Side Story

February 21, 2008 -- The theater department, under the direction of Phil Atkins, raised the curtain on the musical "West Side Story" tonight. "West Side Story" is the musical adaptation of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet." The story transplants young lovers to the violent streets of New York City where they are doomed by social conditions beyond thier control. The world that "West Side Story" plunged into in the 1950s is still with us today. It is the timeless tale of love destroyed by senseless hatred between opposing gangs, the American "Jets" and the Puerto Rican "Sharks." Cast List and Production Staff. Tom Cafferty '09 plays Jets gang leader Riff while Ryan Cooper '09 plays Bernardo, leader of the Sharks. Tabitha Moore '09 plays Maria, the sister of Bernardo, who falls in love with Tony (Evan Sturman '09) , a former member of the Jets who is looking for meaning beyond the life of a gang member.

The production reflects great effort and much talent on the part of the actors, singers, crew, and the accompanying 15-piece orchestra comprised of professionals from throughout Northern New England.

Theater Director Phil Atkins directed the production with assistant director Laura Kingston '08. Music Director Andy Campbell directed the orchestra and Jane Forde was the choreographer. Photos.

Metamorphoses

November 8 -10, 2007 -- Metamorphoses opened to a full house of upper school students on Thursday and closed Saturday evening with a public performance.

The play by Mary Zimmerman comprises several of the poignant myths from Ovid’s Metamorphoses; some take place in modern times, some in ancient times, and some are simply timeless. The action throughout centers around a large pool of water, reminiscent of a Roman pool, which is the physical and emotional focus of the play. It is a simple but effective set. This is a creative and clever production and the Brewster drama group works hard to make it succeed, dealing with constant dampness and quick costume changes with equal aplomb. Kudos to the Metamorphoses ensemble for their efforts.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)

May 17 - 19, 2007 -- Imagine just five students attempting to perform all of Shakespeare’s plays in just 90 minutes – and the result? This irreverent, high-energy, fast-paced comedy full of puns, double meanings, and a great amount of silliness – in other words, a fun evening’s entertainment, even involving some audience participation. This production by Brewster’s acting students ran May 17-19 at the Rogers’ Building and appealed to all ages. The original script was written by the Reduced Shakespeare Company, and was London’s longest-running comedy, playing for 10 years at the Criterion Theater. Photos

Cast members and juniors Amberlee Jones, Nik Krainchich, Alex Moulton, Alison Waldorf, and freshman Brittanie Pierce began rehearsing this demanding script last fall. All of the actors were onstage most of the time and the slapstick action was nonstop, with quick changes of costume consisting mostly of wigs and props such as swords, a butcher knife, and an occasional inflatable doll or baby carriage. In addition to the physical demands, the steady dialogue, at times a bit wacky, needed to be delivered at a quick pace, which made it hard to understand occasionally but the humor came through. “I’ve never had so much Shakespeare come at me so fast and furiously,” declared faculty member BG Hodges ’66 (Anne ’03, Sara ’07).

First was Romeo and Juliet performed by only two students. Waldorf played Romeo and the nurse; and first Pierce, then Moulton, was Juliet, complete with dress and wig. Moulton has appeared in many Brewster productions, but this one showed off his comic talents and physicality at their best. He proceeded to play many female roles for the rest of the evening, always wearing the same dress but changing his wig to suit the character. He is to be applauded for his unabashed willingness to play the fool onstage and for hamming it up so well.

In a gruesome but funny bit, Titus Andronicus became a cooking show, complete with Moulton in chef’s hat, wielding a butcher knife and yelling “Bam!” as often as he could. Moulton was missing one hand, and Waldorf was missing both of hers, as well as her tongue, but she didn’t miss a line.

In the rap version of Othello, Waldorf was the main rapper. She displayed a steady versatility in all her roles, quickly adapting to character after character, her face reflecting each personality’s thoughts on the frenzied goings-on around her. Like Moulton, she cross-dressed, but played one absurd male lead after another, which showed off her energetic spirit. Waldorf’s sense of humor, though more subtle than Moulton’s, was evident through her characterizations. Jones, Pierce, and Krainchich were just as energetic and goofy, constantly overacting.

Explaining that all 17 of Shakespeare’s comedies were alike in that they repeated the same themes over and over, the cast revealed that all of the comedies would be performed as one, with Jones donning a Groucho Marx nose, glasses, and eyebrows; Waldorf, huge yellow eyeglasses, and Pierce, glasses with eyeballs that bounced around each time she moved.

The history plays were performed as football game, with some characters running back and forth across the stage and some cheering on the sidelines. And the piece de résistance, Hamlet, was not only performed backwards but performed three times, each time faster than the previous, in a hilarious bit at the enMuch hard work and energy was invested in this production, and the result was an evening of laughter. Congratulations to Director Dan Clay, the actors, and the crew.