Every time they burst onto the stage in this production of "Rosencrantz," one marvels at the astonishing round-up of faces, bodies, energy. From the beginning, the director, Ingrid Oslund, brought a radical spirit of fun to the enterprise, looking to play with gender, size, movement. "I needed a troupe of weirdos to come out of the woodwork and have fun," she says. At the auditions, she put actors in groups and tried “image theater” game where they were given words and struck a pose. “Everyone had to die beautifully,” she says. "Every single one brought something different and wonderful to the table. They're all working together well and becoming one organism, that moves together, breathes together." Says the Lead Player: "We keep to our usual stuff, more or less, only inside out. We do on stage the things that are supposed to happen off. Which is a kind of integrity, if you look on every exit being an entrance somewhere else." Come take a look and enjoy the antics, opening November 30... Here they are! The Tragedians: Paul Dingman, Sebastian Espinosa, Rebecca Greene, Victoria Isotti, Erica Wisor (and Matthew Lundergan as Alfred)

The chemistry crackles between the loopy everymen at the center of "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" -- or is it Guildenstern and Rosencrantz? Ingrid Oslund, the director, made sure to cast two people who would work well together. "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two little pawns getting moved around different worlds that all have different rules. What are the rules? What are they allowed to do? what are they supposed to be doing? These two actors are so good, and so good together.” Mackenzie Carroll plays Rosencrantz with a wry, playful, bewildered twist. Jaymes Sanchez, as Guildenstern, is sage and grumpy, and a bit more combative. You should might get your tickets now. ROS: We don't owe anything to anyone. GUIL: We've been caught up. Your smallest action sets off another somewhere else, and is set off by it. Keep an eye open, an ear cocked. Tread warily, follow instructions. We'll be all right. ROS: For how long?

For a while. Then he's Alfred. And then... well, it's a long story. And a damn good one.

Since the first rehearsal, Ingrid Oslund, the director of "Rosencrantz," has led the actors through a series of games - and to this day, every rehearsal starts with a series of energetic exercises. The spirit of FUN -- of clowning above all -- lights up the stage. Especially while the players are frolicking.

Linda Burtt gets excited as she heads into the dressing room at the theater, and starts pulling out the costumes that she’s building for the upcoming production of “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead”—hats, doublets, shirts with enormously puffy sleeves, balloon pants. The items are outlandish, colorful, and inspired. “Since it’s Stoppard, you can have a lot of fun, and take all sorts of liberties. If it were straight Elizabethan, I could pull it from here or from Salem State (where she works as the costume shop manager) -- but it’s much more challenging, and fun, than that.” The director, Ingrid Oslund, says the vision is “post apocalyptic Alexander McQueen in the Elizabethan Court”; Burtt calls it “Elizabethan on crack.” She says the “vision is Elizabethan on top, and modern underneath. We’re aiming for the ‘Uncanny Valley’ –the space between reality and not reality.” The costumes are designed to express character, as well as mood, location, situation. Each setting, and character, is working in a different plane. “The concept is so complete, so challenging, I wanted complete control of the total look, so I’m doing hair and make up too. All the elements work together.” Linda is our own award-winning costume designer, as well as the prodigiously talented actor who lit up the stage last season as Martha Gilette in "The Game's Afoot or Holmes for the Holidays." Check back here for more, and check out our wonderful production soon!

Who has the best set building crew in community theater? THAT's RIGHT - WE do. It’s Saturday morning, and the theater is alive with banging and knocking and the occasional loud crash. It smells like sawdust and donuts and coffee and cigarettes. It’s three weeks to opening night --and the air is humming with anticipation of a great show in the making. The set building crew has been here for hours already, pounding, sawing, and climbing impossibly tall ladders – all in the effort to bring to life the vision of the director and set designer for the upcoming production of Stoppard’s 50-year-old classic “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.” They do it four times a year – reconfiguring the small stage in this converted church building in Arlington Center. Last season, the stage became adjoining motel rooms (“Unnecessary Farce”), an office building in the 1970s (“9 to 5”), a glittering mansion in Connecticut (“Game’s Afoot”), and an Italian piazza and cathedral (“Light in the Piazza”). Today, they’re working on the winch that lifted the villain in “9 to 5,” and putting it to different use altogether – hence, the ladder. Set designer Greg Manusi-Ungaro, Gareth Williams, Stu Kazin “Arlington is so lucky to have this core team of dedicated, knowledgeable tech people, who love finding and solving problems,” says Greg Mancusi-Ungaro, the set and lighting designer for “Rosencrantz.” “Everybody knows what to do to make it happen. Working here is a lot of fun.” This team of volunteers is what makes Arlington special in local theater companies, he says. “This isn’t necessarily the nicest facility. There are places that have newer toys and bigger stages. But no other theater I’ve worked at has eight seasoned people who can get stuff to happen in the way they do here. It’s a testament to the organization as a whole.” Iain Bason Greg Mancusi-Ungaro Mark Bastoni Stu Kazin Gareth Williams Don Richardson

"It's a giant game of clowning," says Ingrid Olsund in describing the production of "Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead" currently in rehearsals at AFD. "You can look to the philosophical wordplay, and put a lot of things on it, but it simply works best as a comedy - as a series of games." Olsund has cast a delightfully odd and zany bunch of actors to bring physical play, emotional weight, tremendous chemistry - and joy -- to the stage. "I needed a troupe of weirdos to come out of the woodwork and have fun," she says. "Every single one brought something different and wonderful to the table. They're all working together well and becoming one organism, that moves together, breathes together." She cites the chemistry that was quickly apparent between the two actors playing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and how they're developing a relationship through the weeks together. Ingrid Olsund, director "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two little pawns getting moved around different worlds that all have different rules. What are the rules? What are they allowed to do? what are they supposed to be doing? These two actors are so good, and so good together.” Rosencrantz: Mackenzie Carroll Leading Player: Sara Kerr Guildenstern: Jaymes Sanchez

Watching the production take shape is a joy - taking part in the actual process is a LOT of work. Director Ingrid Oslund is bringing a fresh, vital approach to Tom Stoppard's original work that galvanized the stage 50 years ago when it won the Tony Award for Best Play. Working with a dynamic cast, the production is physical, funny, irreverent, and, as always, a revelation. Join us when it opens at the end of November. Seriously.

Some terrifically charming and talented people in our upcoming production! Don't miss it.

Rehearsals are humming for the upcoming production of the haunting musical, "Violet." Director Steve Atwater and Stage Director Robin Liberty. Violet - Meghan Weakley Meghan Weakley and Jocelyn Hesse Yount Violet - Madison Paul and Peter Cavicchio Flick - Anthony Pires Jr. Winner of the Drama Critics' Circle Award and Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical when it premiered Off-Broadway in 1997, and then on to a Tony-nominated Broadway debut in 2014 with a revised version, "Violet" is a moving musical featuring show-stopping anthems, ranging from American-roots to folk to gospel. With a score from Tony-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (Caroline, or Change; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Shrek; Fun Home) and book and lyrics by the acclaimed Brian Crawley (A Little Princess), "Violet" is inspired by the short story, The Ugliest Pilgrim by Doris Betts. As a girl, Violet was struck by a wayward axe blade when her father was chopping wood, leaving her with a visible scar across her face. With enough money finally saved she's traveling across the Deep South in 1964 towards a miracle – the healing touch of a TV evangelist who will make her beautiful. Although she may not succeed in having the scar on her face healed, Violet is able to repair those scars that are lying deeper than her skin. On the way, she meets a young, African-American soldier whose love for her reaches far past her physical "imperfections." ​

We're delighted to congratulate our EMACT DASH nominees for their work in our 2017-2018 season! BEST LEAD ACTOR (MUSICAL) Gary Ames The Light in the Piazza BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (MUSICAL) Becky Ruccio 9 to 5 The Musical BEST SET DESIGN (MUSICAL) Ryan Began & Greg Mancusi-Ungaro The Light in the Piazza BEST MAKE-UP & HAIR DESIGN (MUSICAL) Deanna Lander 9 to 5 The Musical BEST COSTUME DESIGN (MUSICAL) Andrea Goodman & Lindsay Hurley The Light in the Piazza BEST PROP COORDINATION (MUSICAL) Charlotte Kelley 9 to 5 The Musical The annual EMACT DASH Gala will be held on Saturday, August 25, at Cary Memorial Hall in Lexington. A night of recognition, refreshments, and rekindling connections with the MA theater community. Doors open at 6pm and the show begins at 7:30. For tickets and information, visit emact.org.

Congratulations to Ernie and Lorraine Stevens, who were honored tonight at the meeting at AFD Theatre, for their FIFTY YEARS of membership. That's an awful lot of loyal theater going! We appreciate the support and dedication. Cheers! Lorraine did the theatre the great honor of baking cakes for each opening night. Someone who wishes to remain anonymous is continuing the tradition, and baked a cake to honor them this evening!