Student Actors Showcase Talents at Open Space Arts Coffee House

Student actors showcased their versatile acting talents at Open Space Arts' coffee house on Saturday.

The Studio Company and Children’s Company performed play scenes for community members at the event, one of many showcases the Hanover Road art space holds throughout the year.

Teachers Will Dalrymple and Alec Weinberg organized this year’s coffee house and helped students prepare. Dalrymple, a former student and first-year teacher at Open Space, said the evening’s performances presented what his students learned about scene study and character development.

Open Space holds classes for two different age groups—the Children’s Company for fifth to seventh graders, and the Studio Company for eighth to 12th graders. The Children’s Company meets bi-weekly and introduces students to the basics of theater, while students in the Studio Company meet once a week and cover more in-depth material such as storytelling.

On Saturday evening, the Children’s Company performed a piece from Beverly Cleary’s Ramona and Beezus, while the Studio Company tackled scenes from David Ives’ Sure Thing and The Philadelphia.

In Ives’ Sure Thing, the actors were required to repeat the same scenes with different outcomes each time. A bell was used to mark the re-start of the scene. Studio Company actors showed their ability to keep the characters fresh and entertaining with each new start.

Audience member Rob Smith said seeing the students perform Sure Thing made him want to see the whole play.

First-year Open Space student Emily Doll was excited about her role in The Philadelphia and happy to be a part of the organization.

“Acting is a huge passion of mine and the community here is great,” she said.

Open Space Arts was founded in 1989 as non-profit community organization for the arts. It is run by teachers, artists, parents and community members who are committed to supporting art and the people who create it.

Sharon Baldwin, vice president of the Board of Directors at Open Space, said the organization aims to support people creating art and to bring art to the community in an accessible way.

Said five-year member Elora Maisenhelder, “What we do at Open Space is really important; I love this place and the people.”