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New play “Ellen’s Boys”  takes audiencefrom a Dorchester triple decker to center stage.

Scituate area audiences will have the opportunity to travel back in time for a uniquely working class Irish American experience – life in a triple decker in Dorchester, 1965. True Repertory Theatre presents Ellen’s Boys, by Braintree playwright James Sullivan, at the First Trinitarian Congregational Church, 381 Country Way, Scituate. 

Performances include May 9, 10, 16, 17 @ 8PM and matinees May 11, 18 @ 3PM. The May 10th performance will include a pre-performance gala reception featuring appetizers and a cash bar starting at 6PM for an inclusive price of $35. The company has partnered with local LGBTQIA+, and local Irish organizations, to highlight the play’s central theme of accepting change.  

Ellen’s Boys focuses on the Flaherty family, living in their Dorchester triple decker, in 1965. Ellen, a widow who has raised six children on her own, must learn to accept the changing times and her aging children’s embrace of the future. 

Her middle son, Gil, grown and still living at home, struggles to come to terms with his sexuality in the face of his staunch Irish Catholic upbringing, as his mother attempts to marry him off. We follow the Flaherty family through a tumultuous year of upheaval in which no secrets are safe, no boundaries are respected, and only their love for one another, and their sense of humor, can save them. 

“True Rep strives to create an environment for local playwrights to be heard and audiences to experience something unique and eye opening. We are delighted to bring Ellen’s Boys to a wider audience,” says Artistic Director Donald Sheehan, who plays Gil in the True Rep production. 

“You don’t have to be Irish to recognize this family,” says Victoria Bond, who plays Ellen. “Their dysfunction is tempered by love, and they are beautifully imperfect and deeply human. Audiences can’t help but root for the Flaherty family – just as we are rooting for this play.”  

True Rep will be bringing Ellen’s Boys to NYC at the end of June for a limited  two week run. 

The playwright, James Sullivan of Braintree, who has been writing plays for 30 years, says, “I am humbled by the hard work and authenticity that True Rep brings to my play, and thrilled by the level of talent they bring to this production.”

The cast includes Don Sheehan of Pembroke, Victoria Bond of Plymouth; Elly Berke of Somerville; Julie Butler of Pembroke; Elias Wettengel of Salem; Rob Buckel-Gillis of Scituate; Justin Maloney of Quincy; and Jessica Moss of Newton.

Tickets are $25 General Admission and $22 Seniors & Students. The May 10th performance will include the option of a pre-performance gala reception featuring appetizers and a cash bar at 6PM for $35, inclusive. 

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit Tickets athttps://truereptheatre.com/Ellens-Boys/

New play “Ellen’s Boys”  takes audiencefrom a Dorchester triple decker to center stage.Read More

Dickensian Christmas Celebration comes to Kingston. December 20-24 at the Beal House.

True Repertory Theatre will celebrate this holiday season with its original adaptation of A Christmas Carol, by locals James Sullivan of Braintree and Donald Sheehan of Hanover.  The production runs December 13 and 20 at 7:30PM, December 14, 15, & 22 at 3:00PM, and Dec. 21 at 2:00PM at the Beal House, 222 Main St. in Kingston.

This production takes a fresh look at the beloved character, Ebenezer Scrooge, in this hour long play with music.  In typical True Rep fashion, the focus of this production is on the storytelling. 

“It is our tradition to reinterpret this Christmas classic every year.  Returning audiences find a reinvented version of A Christmas Carol that honors tradition, while keeping it new and exciting,” said Donald Sheehan, Artistic Director of True Rep. 

James Sullivan, a playwright whose original, award-winning work, Ellen’s Boy’s, has delighted True Rep audiences, will be playing Ebenezer Scrooge.  “I am thrilled to be back on the stage with such a talented group who give life to a story that will ignite the holiday spirit in the most hard-hearted among us.”

“This isn’t just a production, it is an event for families to enjoy,” says Victoria Bond, Assoc. Artistic Director.  She added, “At all matinee performances Mrs. Claus will make cookies for the children to decorate before the show, and Santa will join us after the show, for a visit and a sing-along.  We will also be auctioning off some Christmas gift baskets.”

The show will perform at The Beal House, 222 Main St. in Kingston, on December 13 and 20 at 7:30PM, December 14, 15, & 22 at 3:00PM, and Dec. 21 at 2:00PM.   December 21 is also the date of the Luminaries, for those who would like to have a full day of holiday celebration in Kingston. 

As True Rep does every year, the theatre group is collecting canned goods for the Vineyard Resource Center in Kingston, and working with the Kingston Fire Department collecting new, unwrapped toys for the charity, Toys for Tots. Please bring these items with you to the show, if possible.

Tickets are $25 for general admission, $22 for seniors and students, and $20 for groups larger than 10.  Tickets may be purchased at the door or online at www.truereptheatre.com.

Dickensian Christmas Celebration comes to Kingston. December 20-24 at the Beal House.Read More

Noises Off, a British farce, comes to Kingston via True Rep Theatre.  Shows run from May 31 – June 9.

You can laugh, you can cry, but you can’t look away.

The True Rep Theatre product of”Noises Off “, a British farce and a play within a play, will amuse and entertain you.  Performances at The Beal House, 222 Main Street, Kingston, MA will include 8 p.m. shows on Fridays, May 31, June 7, and Saturday, June 8 as well as 3 p.m. shows on Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2, June 9.

Noises off is about an ambitious director and his troupe of mediocre actors. The cast and crew are putting together a silly sex comedy titled, “Nothing On” – a single-set farce in which lovers frolic, doors slam, clothes are tossed away, and embarrassing hi-jinks ensue.

Unfortunately, almost nothing is going right – the cast can’t remember their lines, they mix up their blocking, misplace props, and they’ve lost sight of why they’re acting!

One of the most common themes in farce is the abundance of chaos. In Noises Off, characters are running around most of the time trying to prevent one crisis after another, and many times unwittingly cause more crises, which they must then also resolve.

Ticket prices: $25 general admission $22 students, seniors and groups of 10 or more.   

“This is a witty, breezy and fun play,” noted director Donald Sheehan. He added, “I think people will truly enjoy this fast-moving comedy.”

The cast includes Debby Stratton of Halifax; John Stratton of Halifax; Sara McNulty of Pembroke; James Sullivan of Braintree; Joe O Connor of Plymouth; Alix Lorenz of Brockton; Paul Antico of Cohasset; Mark Reed of Hull; and Chris Bradshaw Bailey of Plymouth.

Production Staff includes Don Sheehan of Pembroke  (Artistic Director/Director); Julie Butler of Pembroke (Resident Stage Manager); Victoria Bond of Plymouth (Associate Artistic Director); Paul Noonan of Swansea (Artistic Advisor); and Anthea Dimond (Production Assistant)

True Rep Theatre is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit and all donations are tax deductible.

Tickets be purchase online at www.TrueRepTheatre.com or at the door, if still available at curtain time.

Noises Off, a British farce, comes to Kingston via True Rep Theatre.  Shows run from May 31 – June 9.Read More

True Repertory Theatre, Kingston, Mass. brings poignant and witty Rabbit Hole to the stage.

DATELINE: KINGSTON, MA…

The True Repertory Theatre announces its next production, David Lindsay-Abaire’s, 2007 Pulitzer Prize winning drama, Rabbit Hole.

Rabbit Hole will be performed at The Beal House, 222 Main St. in Kingston, on March 17, 18 & 24 at 8 PM and March 19, 25 & 26 at 3 PM. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $22 for seniors and students. Buy tickets at https://www.truereptheatre.com/impostertickets or at the door (cash and check only). 

The play focuses on Becca and Howie, eight months after a shocking and sudden event upends their otherwise perfect life. As they navigate their new normal, they must learn to cope with well-intentioned family, uncomfortable friends, and each other, as they try to rediscover that lining of hope that used to surround their marriage. 

“This is such a well written play. The playwright has an incredible ability to wade deep into dramatic water and then suddenly provide the audience unexpected laughter. It is so true to how we experience and cope with tragedy,” said director, Victoria Bond.

Donald Sheehan, True Rep’s Artistic Director, who plays Howie, notes, “This play asks us to confront our understanding of grief and how we process it. Given all that the community has been through, it feels like the right time to share this play.”

Through their Project 719 initiative, True Rep encourages local organizations providing services thematically related to a production, to become involved. For Rabbit Hole, True Rep is proud to connect with Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center in Kingston. At every performance, True Rep will promote awareness of the center, and their services, that are helping so many to process their grief.

The cast includes Lyra Brennan (Centerville resident) as Becca, Donald Sheehan (Pembroke resident) as Howie, Sarah Gruber (Cohasset resident) as Izzy, Lisa Caron Driscoll (Marshfield resident) as Nat, and Patrick McCarthy (Dorchester resident) as Jason. The show is directed by Victoria Bond (Plymouth resident) and stage managed by Anthea Diamond (Kingston resident). 

Buy tickets at https://www.truereptheatre.com/impostertickets or at the door (cash and check only). 

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER COMES TO KINGSTON

True Repertory Theatre, Kingston, Mass. brings poignant and witty Rabbit Hole to the stage.

DATELINE: KINGSTON, MA…

The True Repertory Theatre announces its next production, David Lindsay-Abaire’s, 2007 Pulitzer Prize winning drama, Rabbit Hole.

Rabbit Hole will be performed at The Beal House, 222 Main St. in Kingston, on March 17, 18 & 24 at 8 PM and March 19, 25 & 26 at 3 PM. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $22 for seniors and students. Buy tickets at https://www.truereptheatre.com/impostertickets or at the door (cash and check only). 

The play focuses on Becca and Howie, eight months after a shocking and sudden event upends their otherwise perfect life. As they navigate their new normal, they must learn to cope with well-intentioned family, uncomfortable friends, and each other, as they try to rediscover that lining of hope that used to surround their marriage. 

“This is such a well written play. The playwright has an incredible ability to wade deep into dramatic water and then suddenly provide the audience unexpected laughter. It is so true to how we experience and cope with tragedy,” said director, Victoria Bond.

Donald Sheehan, True Rep’s Artistic Director, who plays Howie, notes, “This play asks us to confront our understanding of grief and how we process it. Given all that the community has been through, it feels like the right time to share this play.”

Through their Project 719 initiative, True Rep encourages local organizations providing services thematically related to a production, to become involved. For Rabbit Hole, True Rep is proud to connect with Hope Floats Healing and Wellness Center in Kingston. At every performance, True Rep will promote awareness of the center, and their services, that are helping so many to process their grief.

The cast includes Lyra Brennan (Centerville resident) as Becca, Donald Sheehan (Pembroke resident) as Howie, Sarah Gruber (Cohasset resident) as Izzy, Lisa Caron Driscoll (Marshfield resident) as Nat, and Patrick McCarthy (Dorchester resident) as Jason. The show is directed by Victoria Bond (Plymouth resident) and stage managed by Anthea Diamond (Kingston resident). 

Buy tickets at https://www.truereptheatre.com/impostertickets or at the door (cash and check only). 

True Repertory Theatre, Kingston, Mass. brings poignant and witty Rabbit Hole to the stage.Read More

Kingston theater production of “Auntie Mame” to Help Local Hospital.

Two local theatre companies are joining forces to bring Auntie Mame to the stage this holiday season.  Rogue Theatre Company and True Repertory Theatre will be co-producing this much loved, rarely done, classic comedy.  Auntie Mame, which enjoyed a lengthy Broadway run as both a play, and later a musical, and popular film versions of each, enjoys an almost cult like following. 

Auntie Mame will be presented at The Beal House, 222 Main Street, Kingston, on December 9 and 10, at 8:00 PM; December 11 at 6:30 PM; and December 11, 17, and 18 at 2:00 PM. 

“Those that know the show, passionately love it,” says Victoria Bond, whose mother was such a fan.  “My mother was waiting for me to play Auntie Mame, unfortunately, she passed away before we were able to do the show,” explains Bond.  Her mother, who battled Frontotemporal Dementia, was a patient at the Senior Behavioral Health Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Lahey Hospital in Plymouth, who cared for her until her passing in January of 2020.  $5.00 of every ticket will be donated to the unit that cared for her mother.  “I will finally be playing Auntie Mame – it’s my way of celebrating my mother and thanking the kind people at BID that cared for her.”

Donald Sheehan, the founder and artistic director of True Repertory Theatre says, “Our theatre companies are like-minded, in that we both try to give back to the community.  We have our project 719 community outreach program that regularly tries to give back to the local community and we are happy to be a part of this unique collaboration.”  Paul Noonan, an artistic advisor with True Rep remarked, “So many families have to confront cognitive failures and everyone in the cast is proud to be working on this project, to not only raise money for a local resource, but to help raise awareness of the issue.”  

The story revolves around young Patrick Dennis who loses his father and goes to live with his eccentric Auntie Mame in New York City, where he becomes a part of her madcap life. The show will be directed by Donald Sheehan, who said of the production,

“This is a fast-paced, funny show with a lot of characters and locations.  It gives us an opportunity to be creative and I think audiences will love Auntie Mame.” Adds Victoria Bond, “She is someone who believes in loving life and living it to the fullest — I can’t think of a better message right now. As Auntie Mame says, “Yes! Live! Life’s a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!”

The cast includes Victoria Bond (Plymouth), Chris Bailey (Plymouth), Donald Sheehan (Pembroke), Meredith Johnson (North Attleboro), Scotty Kippenham (Rockland), Brian Kenerson (Bridgewater), James Sullivan (Braintree), Mark Reed (Hull), Jennifer Serowick (Scituate), Thomas McCoy (Marshfield), Emily Waystack (Dorchester), and Anthea Dimond of Kingston will stage manage.  

Auntie Mame will be presented at The Beal House, 222 Main Street, Kingston, on December 9 and 10, at 8:00 PM; December 11 at 6:30 PM; and December 11, 17, and 18 at 2:00 PM. 

Tickets are $25 for general admission and $22 for seniors and students and may be purchased at the door or through the True Rep website, https://www.truereptheatre.com/shows.

<strong><u>Kingston theater production of “Auntie Mame” to Help Local Hospital.</u></strong>Read More