Young Actors Ensemble Shows Full Range of Talent

Now entering its fourth season, the Young Actors Ensemble (YAE) has mostly been known for its theatrical productions. In the past six months, the group presented “,” a dark comedy about anorexia and "," a drama about a hate crime.

On Saturday, the talented young adults showed that they’re capable of much more than just acting. At YAE’s cabaret, held at Cranston’s William H. Hall Free Library auditorium, the performers entertained the audience with singing, comedy, piano playing and yes, some acting.

Nick Felag kicked the evening off with a short medley of songs on the piano. Surprisingly, the Barrington resident has only played the instrument for four months.

Next up was Marlana Lewis who sang “I’m Not That Girl,” from the Broadway hit “Wicked.” Lewis lent a soulful voice to the song, which was written by lyricist Stephen Schwartz.

Rob Roy, who has been with YAE since the group’s inception, provided the first non-musical act of the show. The Cumberland resident acted out a scene from “Hansel & Gretel” in which a young boy is being held captive by a cannibalistic witch.

Coventry resident Kaitlin Maynard followed with her rendition of “Neat to be a Newsboy” from the musical “Working.” Dressed as a paperboy, Maynard embraced the character as she sang.

Jaime Lamchick showed her tremendous range as a performer, as she presented a monologue about domestic violence from “Guidance,” and later played the piano while singing an original song.

Sean Carufel and John Knight provided some comic relief with two sketches. The first had to do with a business owner hiring a taster to protect him from being poisoned and the second involved a conversation between a father and his grown son about the birds and the bees.

Following a brief intermission, Jonathan Safford provided a powerful voice to the songs, “This Nearly Was Mine,” from the musical “South Pacific” and “When You are Old and Grey,” written by Tom Lehrer in 1953.

Roy’s second monologue of the evening was from the one-act play “Gas,” by José Rivera. The subject was a young man struggling with the absence of his brother who is serving in the military in Iraq.

Alison Kelly, who was added to the evening’s program just prior to the show, performed a beautiful version of the song “I’m a Part of That,” from the one-act musical “The Last Five Years.”

Knight’s second appearance on stage involved more comedy, but this time as a stand-up act. In a matter of a few minutes, the young comic elicited laughter with references to Star Wars, Anne Frank and Jesus.

Artistic Director Bob DiMartino closed the cabaret by thanking the audience for coming and the cast for their dedication, especially those who have been with YAE for the past few years.

Toward the end of January, YAE will present its core company show in which select members of the group will perform.