Local Theater Groups: Fun for All Ages

Local theater enthusiasts will have the chance to enjoy a variety of offerings this weekend as a venerable Acton-based group, Open Door Theater, takes on a newer production with a Caribbean flair while the more recently formed Theatre with a Twist, Inc., presents a classic.

Open Door’s production of “Once On This Island” will feature more than 100 cast members with varying levels of theater experience, and representing a wide range of ages and towns.

Set on an unnamed island in the Caribbean, it tells the story of Ti Moune, a peasant girl who falls in love with a wealthy boy, Daniel, and of the gods who rule the island. Based around “a number of cultural traditions,” said director Maura Kate Moore, “(the play) incorporates a large ensemble with different levels of experience.”

“This production really lends itself to coming together as an ensemble through song, moving and storytelling,” said Moore. “It incorporates all the best aspects of theater, which is really why I chose it.”

Moore said she was also drawn to the play’s inherent feel of welcoming and openness, which she says mirrors Open Door’s philosophy, as well as her own.

“The idea with Open Door is to be welcoming and inclusive, and that everyone has value, skills and talent to share,” said Moore, adding that her own dual background in the arts as well as special education “coincide with what (Open Door) also represents.”

Last month, some cast members assembled both at the Reuben Hoar Library in Littleton and several times at the Acton Memorial Library to give audiences a preview of the production by reading and acting out several Haitian folk tales and singing songs.

“The play revolves around sharing stories with the community so we thought it was fitting to do the previews at the libraries,” said Moore.

Cast members range in age from “a number of nine-year-olds up to people in their sixties” and include members from as far as Cambridge and Boston, “really because of the music,” said Moore. “The music is extraordinary, so people who like music were really drawn to this production.”

Also unusual, said Moore, is the sets’ incorporation of “the storytellers themselves. The actors will be physically creating aspects of the sets.”

For one local family, the play offered the opportunity to bond in a fun and interesting way. Julie Jannke, who participated in the preview at Reuben Hoar library and will play a storyteller along with her 9-year-old son, Sam, and husband Paul, said the experience “has been a blast.”

Jannke said the idea to participate as a family was spurred by her daughter Helen’s interest in attending plays in which her friends were performing, which inspired Helen to want to audition for Once On This Island—and family members followed suit.

“First it was Helen, then I thought I’d try it out, then Sam wanted to join in too, and then my husband wanted in on the fun,” she said. “And right away, the auditioning process was really comfortable and welcoming.”

Helen, 11, a sixth-grader at McCarthy-Towne School, was cast in the more prominent role of young Ti Moune, which she said was "unexpected, but really awesome."

"Maura's a good director and that made it really fun, and I really liked (doing) all the dances," she said. "It was really fun to do with my family because we could all practice together at home."

In addition to its yearly production, Open Door supports other aspects of theater in the community such as workshops for children and adults and grants for theater facilities, according to its website.

Moore said seven showings of “Once On This Island” will run at Open Door Theater’s Dragonfly Auditorium at starting tonight, with an American Sign Language (ASL)-interpreted show for the hearing impaired held tomorrow. According to the Open Door website, tickets are available via cast members or online at mktix.com.

New theater group does things with a twist

Founded by longtime Acton theater professional Mary Spinosa-Wilson, Theatre with a Twist, Inc. has offered a full slate of productions since its opening last May, with a number of plays, musicals and other performances planned for the coming months.

Its current production, Oliver, opening this weekend at the Hale Middle School in Stow and featuring a cast of some 55 upper-elementary-aged children, will reprise the Dickens classic about Oliver Twist, an orphan who escapes his life in a workhouse and embarks on one as a pickpocket, eventually discovering he is the grandson of Mr. Brownlow, a kindly man who takes him in.

“It’s a classic, I haven’t seen it around in a long time and I’ve never (directed) it,” said Spinosa-Wilson of selecting Oliver. “It’s wonderful, classic music and just a great family show.”

Since its opening last spring, the group has attracted participants of all ages from the local area and beyond through “advertising, word-of-mouth, and just (my) being connected with the community,” said Spinosa-Wilson.

Theatre with a Twist offers opportunities for members to perform and learn about theater in a variety of modalities including drama, improvisation, and storytelling, with each project conceptualized "for a specific age group," said Spinosa-Wilson. Some upcoming events include a “Twisted Variety Show” in April and a production of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” in June, as well as a fundraiser performance of a play written by one of Theatre with a Twist’s members, and workshops and classes during April school vacation and the summer.

What’s more, said Spinosa-Wilson, the group is collaborating with the Acton Recreation Department in July to present “Cats” at NARA park, which she said “will eventually be like the ‘Nutcracker’ of the summer. We hope to do it every year.”

Spinosa-Wilson said she founded Theater with a Twist as a way to foster self-esteem and camaraderie in the community through theater, which she said “just gives you a good feeling in your heart.”

“It’s very therapeutic to do theater,” she said. “And my feeling is, if you become famous one day, great. But that’s not what it’s about. If you enjoy yourself and feel good about yourself—that’s my goal.”

Local families have taken notice of Spinosa-Wilson’s approach, with one parent, Wendy Pittorino, saying it’s been “amazing” to see her son Joey’s confidence grow through his theater experiences.

“We love Mary’s philosophy that no matter what their role, she wants kids on the stage as much as possible,” said Pittorino. “It gives them all a chance and teaches them to be professional. They learn a lot while they’re there.”

Joey, who’s previously performed in several local productions, will play the Artful Dodger in Oliver, which he said is “a really fun role.”

“It’s been really different from some other roles. He’s really just a pickpocket, but he’s also pretty likable,” said Joey, 10, a fourth-grader at Conant School. “I really enjoy (theater) and I really want to keep doing it.”

Oliver will run through the weekend, with evening performances tonight and Saturday and a matinee performance on Sunday. Tickets are available at the door and online at mktix.com.